


Tale of a tiger, song of a crane

by Akiko_kitsune



Category: Gintama
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, F/M, First Love, Fuck Or Die, Healing, Lesbians will take over in chapter 5, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Shouka Sonjuku AU, Slow Burn, The last two tags are warnings, Wuxia, so Oboro and Nobume are the students too
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-26 20:20:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21564664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_kitsune/pseuds/Akiko_kitsune
Summary: Sometimes everything changes the moment two fated people lay eyes on each other. So Takasugi Shinsuke, young Emperor's son, felt as he chose to leave his family and position to follow mysterious Yoshida Shouyou. He knew he walked onto the path from where there was no return, the one his heart would never let him stray from and despite all the odds he would persist. The path on which he was going to learn more about himself and the teacher he chose to follow.
Relationships: Takasugi Shinsuke/Yoshida Shouyou
Comments: 10
Kudos: 12
Collections: #ficwip





	1. Purity of first spring days

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see I got so deep into mdzs and other mxtx's novel I need to write an AU set in this kind of universe.
> 
> First of all, I'm a complete weeb when it comes to Wuxia (Chinese martial art fantasy) and danmei (bl), so this fic is rather heavily inspired by them than in these exact genres as well as I obstained from using Chinese related words like 'shizun' or 'shixiong' as I would either used them incorrectly or my work would remain fics I wrote in my teenage years than every other word was Japanese. I will try to write some additional info in authors notes to clarify the stuff I mention in the chapter.
> 
> Stuff to clarify for this chapter:
> 
> Qi - vital energy, it can be cultivated and used to perform certain acts from increasing one's speed or strength to using talismans to expel demonic beings; therefore the art of studying it is called cultivation and people studying it are cultivators.
> 
> Yin and Yang - two kinds of that energy and overall the duality of everything in the universe. Yin is associated with female, soft, dark, the moon, while Yang with male, hard, light, the sun etc. In this fic, I differentiate that certain acts require either of them, but for cultivators, it's important to keep the balance between them.
> 
> Meridians - the vessels in the body through which the Qi circulates, kind of like blood vessels, you also need to have the right flow of Qi like you need to have the normal blood pressure to be healthy.
> 
> Immortals - in this kind of universe, it is possible to reach immortality by mastering cultivation, so Shouyou's immortality here isn't as a big deal as in canon.
> 
> If I missed something or you need some more explanation, hit me in the comments or on twitter @AkikoKitsune.
> 
> I hope it will be enjoyable to read.

It is believed that all people's lives are already recorded and all that is happening is just an adaptation of this script. Someone long ago cast all the roles and now they definitely are watching from aside how their opus magnum plays out. None of playing there actors know the script, but it does not matter. Everyone are just puppets in the hands of fate.

Various roles were cast. Some people got to be great heroes, merciful rulers, holy sages and some got to play awful scumbags to give the world some balance and let the good ones shine.

Some people were just meant to meet. Having so many actors on the stage, it was impossible to keep them separate. So many fates intertwined and resonated with each other. All that was already thought through. Yet there was this specific case that no matter what roles some were cast, the sole meeting was enough to turn the whole world around.

And that seemed to happen right before Takasugi's eyes.

Just a few moments ago, he was some mere brat causing troubles all around and making himself enemies. His own heritage was something he wasn't aware of yet. The _Emperor's son_ was only a couple of often mentioned words.

And then his whole life had changed in one moment. He met _him_.

It was, by all means, a regular day. Two weeks after the Spring Festival. Takasugi had sneaked out to the city and as always stirred troubles. He got into a fight where his chances weren't high. One on one he could handle anyone in this city, but when it was becoming one versus multiple people... He didn't fear to get a couple of bruises.

The fight got interrupted. In one second their weapons, more or less developed wooden objects, were cut down stopping them from any further action. They all looked at it in awe and a bit in fright. Then they raised their eyes to the intruder.

The boys, with who Takasugi had fought, ran away. As always when the one interrupting brawls was an adult. Takasugi had learnt that unwritten rule on his own skin, yet he just couldn't take his eyes off this man.

If there was something like _fated meeting_ , that was probably it.

That man seemed like... If Takasugi had to find any phrase that could describe the air that man was giving, the closest would be saying it was like _the first days of the spring_. Pure and calm, yet warm from first rays of sunshine and filled with first flowers breaking through the snow.

"Forgive me that I interrupted your fight," he spoke. His voice was low and tender. So pleasant that Takasugi wanted to hear it again. And then the man closely looked over him. So caringly that Takasugi lowered his gaze. He didn’t need that much attention. "Are you alright?" he even asked.

Takasugi nodded. He didn't even get bruised. That man really came in time. But who was he? This time, trying not to get distracted, Takasugi took a look of him. He was dressed in fair, silk robes without any emblems nor ornament which would tell his status or any other affiliation. Takasugi's gaze stayed for a bit longer on his sword. Securely in its sheath, it seemed almost plain. Just one of many swords and rather of the cheaper ones since it lacked any ornaments or engravings. The man used it only for a bare second, Takasugi noticed only its spark when it left its sheath, which didn't mean it didn't catch his attention. For someone quite acquainted with fine arms, it was as capturing and mysterious as its owner.

The man came closer. He must have to finally see Takasugi was indeed in a good state as there was no longer worry in his moves.

He bumped Takasugi's head with an innocent smile. “When it comes to fighting, both parties are at fault.”

Takasugi moved back. What? Who the hell was he?! His confusion only grew.

“Who are you?” Takasugi choked out.

“I’m a teacher,” he stopped himself and smile clumsily. “Or can I call myself that? Words tend to be so confusing,” he chuckled. “Oh, I’m sorry. I want to set a school and I’m currently looking for students. So far I have two, maybe luck will bring me some more.”

"Where are they?"

The man blinked several times as if he had just realized something. He looked to the side and then over his shoulder. "Haha... That is a good question."

  
What...?

"Since we're talking about it..." His gaze focused on Takasugi. Those warm, amber eyes that reflected pleasant smile adorning his lips. "Would you like to be my student?"

Takasugi needed a moment to get back himself and understand the question he was asked. He got lost a bit in the very sight of this person.

The man, as if he counted up to three, moved back. "You can think about it. I have a feeling we will meet again soon."

* * *

"Where have you been again?" Takasugi heard Katsura right when he got back. He was the only person who knew all his paths around the castle and the city, so if Takasugi was going to be caught, he was the only one who could manage to do that.

"Someone was looking for me?"

"Everyone."

Takasugi rolled his eyes. So what if someone was looking for him. It was their fault they didn't know how to find him. Besides, in case of some urgent matters, Katsura knew where to look for him and one of the servants was aware of it.

Takasugi walked to his chamber to change his clothes to more suitable for the Emperor's son. He didn't get to do that. Before his chamber were standing two guards. Takasugi was screwed, but it wasn't the first time.

He walked in with his head up high.

His father was awaiting him. Didn't he have any more important matters to pay his attention to?

"What do I owe you this visit, father?" Takasugi bowed. All in the most theatrical, artificial way, so no one could misinterpret it as any form of respect. He would not be caught dead giving respect to his father.

"You should know that."

"Your Imperial Majesty," a servant standing next to him quickly interrupted. He was the one aware of Takasugi's sneaking out and who always let it slide. "Young Master is still very young. It's in his nature to act out."

"He is the next Emperor and that is all he is. No matter age or..." He looked down on his son. "An attitude."

"Then our ruling system must be on a verge of collapsing if it's relying on the perspective of me being its head," Takasugi couldn't stop himself from saying. He would never be a bird in a golden cage. He was struggling with all his strength to stay out of it. But, as it was occurring to him with age, even if he was outside of it, he was staying close to it. Where else could he go? Here, he had the biggest chances of survival. Everywhere else as an Emperor's son he would be a target. He wasn't an idiot. He wasn't going to throw himself into Death's embrace. He kept rebelling, but his reluctance was nothing more than a form of daydreaming. He hoped that one day he could be defined by his own words, not the one chosen for him by others.

"I have a meeting soon, afterwards we will talk about your behaviour," the Emperor said dryly and walked out with most of the servants, only one stayed behind.

Takasugi was expected at that meeting as well. Otherwise, they would continue their talk about his behaviour. Takasugi was known for getting into many fights, so most of the people wouldn't pay attention to his bruises. It had to be someone from afar then too.

"Young Master," the servant, that previously took his side, spoke. "Did you get injured?"

"No. Someone interrupted. I didn't even get hit," he said casually. Hearing him talk in this manner, Katsura dared to come in. Really. Was there a bigger scaredy-cat than him? And he was supposed to be a general when he grew up? The world was going to turn into ruin with Takasugi as a future Emperor and Katsura as his first in command.

* * *

Whenever there was some significant entering the city, there would be a meeting with the Emperor set down. The thing had become so overly repetitive and boring that Takasugi tried his hardest to escape them. But that was one duty he had to fulfil.

Katsura was also attending these meeting sometimes as the son of the general. His father long died, but he wanted to keep on family name and tradition. Since they were living in peaceful and prosperous times, the royal family had taken him in to gain knowledge and experience. It could be only for the best. Also, it was in part for giving Takasugi someone to play with as he was younger and someone who would be his voice of reason nowadays, even though he never listened to it.

Takasugi went with him to take their places and sat silently for way too long. He didn’t even try to guess who the guest might be, Katsura was playing this every time. Takasugi didn’t care. He only lazily raised his eyes when the guest was let in.

Takasugi forgot how to breathe for a moment. It was him.

“My name is Yoshida Shouyou. And they are my students, Oboro and Gintoki,” the man spoke showing two boys that came with him. Seemed like he didn't lose them along the way this time.

“Scholars are always welcomed in our sides.”

Bullshit. That was the phrase his father overused. Whenever he didn’t know yet what someone’s goal was and if that person would be useful.

Takasugi listened only as Shouyou presented himself. So, he was a cultivator. They were generally useful, as they helped often common people and took on their shoulders cases that were usually some superstitious bullshit. Real supernatural events happened rather rarely. It was a relic of the past as people learnt how to fight and erased most of these creatures. Apart from that, cultivators often bring with themselves various knowledge and were eager to teach other people. But like everything in life, there were as well worst sides as cultivators sometimes caused troubles and stopping them was taking a lot of effort. Rarely anyone in the army was familiar with these arts. The riches, including the royal family, on the other hand, liked pursuing this path, but they weren’t kind of people that would stand in the front lines of any fight, which was making this all useless. Takasugi knew a bit himself too, he was even pretty good, but in his life, it had no practical meaning. Only a fun activity, a playground for the elite.

Shouyou spoke a lot about his cultivation. Some boring stuff. Takasugi let his mind wander off to the boys accompanying Shouyou. They were not much older than him. Both with unusual white hair, one had also unusual red eyes. Where Shouyou find them?

The red-eyed boy seemed bored by the whole situation even more than Takasugi and had that particular air around him that was already making Takasugi pissed.

The other, with grey cloudy eyes, sat straight, listening closely to every word his master said.

Takasugi glanced at Katsura. He always tried to carefully listen to what others were discussing, he had to if he wanted to be a great general or something. Also, he was hugely interested in cultivation, as in any knowledge that could be pursued. Although, now, he seemed rather confused...

Oh.

Okay, so that meant Shouyou’s words so far were some gibberish to ease Emperor’s curiosity in cultivation. Which actually picked Takasugi’s interest. What he was trying not to say? What was he hiding? What did he need to cover up with all these meaningless words?

Takasugi’s father wasn’t completely naive and figured out more or less what was going on. So he asked: “What are you looking for here?”

“Students and a place to set a school,” Shouyou answered easily.

If he was there to stir troubles and his intentions were clear, why… What did he want to teach? That was the only reason that was coming to Takasugi’s head that could cast some shadow on Shouyou’s intentions.

The Emperor wasn't convinced either.

Feeling the aura of the surroundings change Shouyou dared to spoke again. "I'm still at the beginning of my journey, so I understand if your Majesty has doubts… I know there are two types of scholars. The ones that teach common people and the ones that teach the rich. I'm aware of the difference between these two, but I don’t agree with it. These two boys,” he once again referred to them, for some reason they both lowered their eyes when he said that. “I picked them up. They were left behind orphans. With no status. And I don’t see by which criteria they are different and should get different education than the boys sitting on your right.” As he spoke for the first time his gaze leaned on Takasugi. Shouyou smiled at him softly as their eyes met.

“It’s a noble cause, though teaching common people such advance arts that might lead to rioting and increase crimes.”

“That’s why it’s important to equip people both in skill and knowledge. I believe that if you treat each being with the respect they deserve the world would be a better place, all people, in the end, are equal. That’s what I want to teach.”

People were not equal. That was the only rule that counted on this court.

Takasugi glanced at his father. Emperor’s gaze was sharp, teeth clenched. He didn’t raise, he kept his composure. He took a moment before slowly saying: “Leave. Spread this madness somewhere else.”

“I understand.” Shouyou bowed. “I believe I have a right to end this cup of tea before leaving?”

The emperor didn’t answer. He left first.

“You angered him, Shouyou,” the red-eyed boy said.

Takasugi and Katsura looked at each other. How could someone talk so nonchalantly to his master?

“Unfortunately,” their master sighed and took a sip of tea. He seemed to gather his thoughts. His plan burned down, it was the right moment to start thinking.

Takasugi stood up. Katsura tried to stop him by catching his arm, but failed and struggled to keep balance. That brought out a giggle from the boy that had spoken. The other student elbowed him. Their teacher remained calm as nothing around was happening. Like if all was cover in snow. Nothing but pleasant, calming whiteness. He only raised his gaze when Takasugi stopped right in front of him.

“You’d known who I was?”

“I had," Shouyou answered putting his cup down. "Your refine robes sold you out. For your safety, you should put more attention to your actions. Even if you were trying to get rid of palace guards. Also, they are only people, they’re trying their hardest to fulfil their duties which are ensuring your safety.”

“Why did you ask me _that_ then?”

“I believe in what I’m saying. All people are equal. No matter if I’m facing the Emperor's son or a beggar on the street, I’ll just ask if they want to be my students.”

Takasugi couldn’t come up with an answer. Shouyou’s piercing gaze not only took away his words but also breath. He only stood and watch him as he put his cup once again to his lips and finished his tea.

“I believe now is time for me to go,” he said.

Takasugi didn’t stop him. No. He did worse. He went to his father. Katsura barely kept up with his pace.

“Father! I'll be his student."

"You're out of your mind," his father threw, but the sense of the words started to hit him gradually like a tide.

"Now you figured that out?" Takasugi smirked and just walked away. Leaving behind his family name, riches and his kin.

* * *

“Why did you follow me? You didn’t have to,” Takasugi asked seeing Katsura followed him. At first, he thought, he was trying for the last time to be his voice of reason, stop him from committing a grave mistake. Could anything stop him? Yet, it was nothing like that. He went not as much after him, but with him.

How surreal it felt to see Katsura breaking rules and standing up against... Everything. This life, this role left him by his family, that was the most important thing for him. He committed so much to achieve it. And now he just threw it out the window.

“I... I got inspired by that man’s teachings as well.”

Yeah, teachings, that sounded more reasonable than the fact he got lost in his amber eyes and just wanted to get closer to him.

Shouyou hadn’t walked far away. He stayed with his students on the street close to the palace.

Takasugi stopped.

Why?

Why did now uncertainty start to crawl into his heart? He had never hesitated before. Why now his breath went short and his words got lost?

He tightened his hands into fists to push himself forward. What was he even doing? What was happening to him?

He got a weird idea. Maybe for such a situation, it was a suitable solution. He reached to his sleeve and took out a piece of paper. It was... A trick. It had helped him out so many times, maybe it would do so now too.

He traced his finger over the red markings on the paper. The sheet fluttered and as it fell from his hand it changed into a golden butterfly. It flew to Shouyou. Teasingly moved around in front of him to catch his attention.

Shouyou let it rest on his finger.

"Quite impressive." He turned back. His eyes focused on Takasugi. No one else even if Katsura was as likely to use that trick. Somehow he knew.

What now? Takasugi lacked words even more as Shouyou's gaze wasn't as gentle as previously. It was piercing him through. Shouyou knew where it was all going. It was only a matter of a few words. Quite easy. If only Takasugi found some breath in his lungs to let them out.

Luckily, Katsura spoke up: “My name is Katsura Kotarou, and this is Takasugi Shinsuke, we would like to ask you to take us as your students,” Katsura asked bowing low.

“Sure,” Shouyou smiled. “Although...” his expression slightly worried. “We’re going to leave the city today.” He paused letting both of his potentials students rethink their decisions once more.

“Wherever you want to go will be okay with us,” Takasugi came forward.

Katsura nodded.

“Okay, then.” Shouyou smiled.

With each step forward, Takasugi's heart was becoming lighter and breathing easier. The more air filled his lungs, the bolder he felt.

"Shouyou!" Katsura twitched hearing him talking so disrespectfully. "Can we check what we sign on for?"

Shouyou chuckled. "Of course. What would-"

"Let's fight." Oboro and Gintoki looked at him thunderstruck.

"I have to refuse." Shouyou smiled softly. "I prefer not to fight. But I'm sure there will be some other way we can prove you our worth."

"I'll fight with him," Gintoki volunteered. "I have enough of his entitled rich ass."

Shouyou looked at Takasugi. “Would it suffice you?”

“Yeah.” He didn’t mind it. And if he achieved the victory too easily, he could still challenge Shouyou again. Takasugi looked at his opponent. "Rules?"

“Nah.” Gintoki stretched lazily. “There is no need for any fancy duelling for whatever you do up there. Just take a sword,” he pointed at the wooden one Oboro was handing him. Takasugi took it. “You won’t be able to touch me anyway,” he smirked.

Takasugi had a lot of experience in the fighting. Mostly in street brawls, but as he was taught cultivation, he had some experience in more advance arts as well. In the latter, usually, his opponent was Katsura for lack of anyone else, and that alone made Takasugi sure of his abilities. It was hard to find anyone tougher than him.

Right. This time he should assume he was going to fight against a cultivator. He focused on the flow of energy in his body. He was in perfect form since the brawl in the morning got interrupted before anything happened.

Gintoki shifted to the side.

What? How could he move so quickly…

Gintoki grabbed Takasugi’s arm and throw him over to the ground. The hit made his vision went black for a moment. Takasugi blinked a few times having troubles with understanding how did he ended up lying down.

He needed to get up.

He wasn’t going to lie down and lose.

Takasugi turned around and got up. He was dizzy from the hit. But he could bear it. He could still stand. He could fight.

He moved forward putting all his strength. This time their swords clashed. Gintoki was stronger and managed to push Takasugi away. He returned once more, but he used too much of force this time. Gintoki shifted to the side. Takasugi fell forward a few steps before stopping. Too late. His opponent got behind his back. Gintoki way too easily pushed him making him lose his balance. At least this time Takasugi fell to the front and shield himself with his hands. Sand hurt his skin, but it didn’t cut it.

"Shouyou!” Takasugi could hear the shit-eating smile on Gintoki’s face. “Now I know why you took him in! You wanted to give Oboro someone to practice medicine on!"

Takasugi could not lay down listening to it. He stood up once more. "Fight with me one more time!"

"'kay."

This time Gintoki didn’t even bother to move. He only stood and sparred all his blows. Takasugi tried once more. Once more. And again. A bit to the side. Up. Down. Faster. He had to-

He hit him.

Takasugi hit Gintoki’s left forearm.

He managed to touch him.

Gintoki recomposed after the first moment of surprise. He moved closer to Takasugi. He hit him in the stomach. Takasugi curled. Then hit fell on his back sending his knees to the ground. One more to the back on his head. He opened his eyes lying on the ground again. This time he didn’t even think about getting up.

"Did you broke him something?" Shouyou asked only.

"Do I look like a Med student?" Gintoki snarled.

Oboro moved to Takasugi and helped him at least sit at the ground. He tried to check the stan of his bones. He had a serious-looking face, but if Takasugi hadn't felt any sharp pain no matter where he pressed, it wasn't that bad. At least that much he knew about the medicine. He was often a patient after his many fights.

Then Oboro moved to his meridians and turned the flow of the energy to normal. Undoing what Gintoki disrupted with the last hit. Soon Takasugi could breathe freely. After the fight were left only some bruises and slight dizziness.

"Oboro?" This time Shouyou's tone was more concerned.

"He's alright." It had to be the first time Takasugi heard him talk. He had a deep and rough voice, though it seemed nice to listen to.

Oboro moved back. He went to Gintoki who was still massaging his forearm. He brushed him off saying it was nothing.

Takasugi smirked. “And I did manage to touch you.”

“Beginner’s luck.”

_Right._

“So?” Shouyou smiled to Takasugi. “What do you think about my students?”

“That I’m glad to be one of them.”

Shouyou chuckled.

* * *

“Kotarou,” Shouyou let himself use his first name, Katsura didn’t correct him. “Are you worried about something?”

Takasugi also noticed that. When the initial rush of emotions lessened, its place filled doubts before the unknown future as the rational thinking kicked in.

Katsura hesitated before answering. He was afraid it could be seen disobedience. He should put more trust in the master he swore to follow. Cause he still wanted to, but...

Shouyou patiently waited as Katsura made up his mind.

“How will it work?” he asked finally. “We have barely anything now...”

Takasugi and Katsura didn't even take anything with them as they left the royal palace. Shouyou and the other students didn't have much either. Only a few books, some clothing for change and a bit of food. But, in contrast, they didn't seem much bothered by it.

“I understand your concern," Shouyou spoke. His voice was as soft as silk. "If that can for reassurance, I’m used to travelling from one place to another exchanging my services, help, knowledge for a shelter and a meal. It’s, of course, temporary until we find a place we would like to set our school at. I believe in mine and my student’s skills.”

“Services? You mean exorcisms and night hunts, right?”

"Not limited to." Shouyou smiled when he saw his student not quite understanding. "There are many instances when others might need our help and no work dishonours."

Katsura nodded understanding.

"Is there anything else that is bothering you?"

Again Shouyou waited patiently until Katsura dared to speak about it.

"I've noticed that... All the books you have are about yin cultivation."

"So?" Gintoki peaked in, but couldn't understand what Katsura meant.

"There are two forces in nature and all living beings: yin and yang. To keep balance it is crucial to cultivate both. The only one may lead to..."

"Kotaro is very educated in this matter," Shouyou interrupted him.

"I heard that once..." he lowered his eyes.

"And it is true. Everyone should find their balance…”

"Then if I may ask what is the reason why the master is omitting yang cultivation?" Katsura didn’t let him sidetrack from this matter. Not now, when the little validation he got made him more confident.

"Yang energy is more direct and brutal. I prefer other solutions. But I’m skilled in both. And don't worry, I would not try to teach you only one of them. Everyone has to find their own way and balance. As a teacher, I’m here to show you different paths and encourage you to choose the one most fitting to you."

That answer sufficed Katsura. Or he couldn’t bear to argue longer with someone of authority.

* * *

As Shouyou warned on their journey they mostly didn’t find a place to spend a night that would in any way resemble the conditions Katsura and Takasugi were used to. It wasn’t hard to handle. They quickly got used to it. Even to the stuffy inns, they were staying in while spending more time in cities. And when the night caught them away from any shelters, that was even pleasant. Takasugi didn’t mind sleeping under the sky since he had already done it a few times as he ran away from home. Not many times. He learnt quickly how much trouble it was brining. But that also made this journey even nicer. No one was looking for him. He didn’t have to bother what was happening somewhere in the palace, how much troubles he caused to the few people he liked. It was liberating.

Staying in cities had one more flaw - it was harder to find a way to practice. Takasugi had never put much effort into that, he got plenty during his escapades to the streets, but now it wasn’t enough. He didn’t need to maintain his condition, he wanted to become stronger as quickly as it was possible. Which often resulted in someone catching him. In the best scenario, it was Katsura who sometimes even joined Takasugi. In the worst one, Gintoki sat watching him and ridiculing each of his moves. Oboro only watched silently and soon went somewhere else.

And one day someone else found him.

“You keep waking up first and training without anyone's prompting, that’s truly impressive,” Shouyou spoke tenderly. “You want to catch up to Gintoki as soon as possible?”

“Yeah.” There was nothing Takasugi wanted to do more than to wipe off that smirk from Gintoki’s face.

Shouyou watched him closely. “Can I interrupt you?”

Takasugi nodded. Why did Shouyou even bother with asking? As a teacher, it was his role to intertwine in his student’s practice.

“Try going through your routine again now. I want to check something.”

Takasugi took a deep breath to forget the fact he would be watched and repeated his movement.

“Once more.”

Takasugi listened. This time he heard as Shouyou came closer. That distracted him a bit. Shouyou didn’t touch Takasugi directly. He used his always sheathed sword. He tapped on Takasugi's arm.

“Move it a bit higher.”

He listened.

“Again.”

This time Shouyou stopped him at a different moment, but both of the corrections were such minor changes. These mistakes could be even made only because someone was so closely watching him and judging.

“Again.”

This time Takasugi purposely put his arms lower. He heard as Shouyou chuckled and came forward again. Once again he tried to show Takasugi how to get into the right position with his sword. This time his student wasn’t listening as obediently. Shouyou sighed. He put the sword down, back to his waist.

Was Takasugi doing the right thing?

He was. Shouyou came even closer. Takasugi felt his touch. Shouyou gently cupped his hands and guide them. Takasugi’s breath went short. He was no longer in the mood to act out when the other body was suddenly so close to his.

When they came to the end of the routine, Shouyou still kept his hands on him. He positioned him again. Parted his legs a bit further with his. And then he moved with him again. Their movement was perfectly fluid. There was no reluctance on Takasugi’s side, with slight touches he was able to understand what Shouyou wanted from him and he tried his best to do so.

This time when they stopped, Shouyou moved back.

“What was that?” Takasugi asked looked back at him.

“Just a little something, so you won’t get too bored with your daily routine.”

Takasugi grinned. "Then maybe you should fight with me? That would definitely make it less boring.”

Shouyou ruffled his hair. “Some other time.”

* * *

Shouyou had taken favour in some students. That was just evident. Luckily, there were many areas of life and each of his students filled a different one.

Gintoki was the only one that could match Shouyou in the fighting. He was the only one he ever practise with. Takasugi always watched it with jealousy eating up his heart, but at the same time, he understood why it was like that.

Katsura had vast knowledge and want to learn even more, so they talked a lot. He also fell in love with Shouyou's vision for this world and wanted to learn everything about it.

Oboro even if he always tried to stay aside and not catch anyone's attention, he had a special place in Shouyou's heart as his first student. They also shared this belief the world and humanity can change for better and they kept reinforcing it in each other.

And Takasugi... Maybe because he couldn't look at it from a neutral perspective, he couldn't see where he might fit. What was he bringing? He wasn't the strongest, the most knowledgeable and definitely not most believing in anything. There was nothing left for him.

Maybe he needed more time to earn his place here.

* * *

Whenever they were getting to the cities, they were getting separate ways. It was partially because of Shouyou's carelessness and because of the wayward nature of his students. In the end, they were always finding each other in the evening, so maybe it wasn't a matter worth bothering about. Yet, Takasugi liked to tease his teacher about it.

“You’ve lost all your students again, Shouyou?”

Shouyou turned to him and smiled. “Not anymore. I have you.”

How was he was easily catching Takasugi off guard?

As they strolled through the streets, one woman approached them.

"Sir, are you cultivator?" she asked.

Shouyou nodded.

Her eyes filled with tears. "Please, I'll do anything, but save my daughter!" She almost dropped to her knees saying that. Shouyou caught her.

"I'll try to do what's in my might," he spoke slowly.

Takasugi kept a one-step distance. He didn’t want to interrupt his teacher. When they got to the unfortunate household, Takasugi felt the negative energy. He didn't expect it to be so evident. He glanced at the people at the street. They walked around unaffected by it. How?

The energy got even thicker inside of the house. How these people were able to live here? Takasugi was barely able to breathe.

The woman led them to one of the rooms. There a girl around Takasugi's age was sitting by the table and mindlessly grinded the ink. On the floor, there was a lot of scattered papers with meaningless doodles.

“Can you help her?” the girl's mother asked desperately.

Shouyou nodded and asked her to leave the room.

"You can leave too," he said to his student.

"I'll stay back. What is wrong with her?" Takasugi had his guesses, but since he had never met with supernatural, he chose to ask his master.

"She's possessed." Shouyou sat next to her and took the girl's hand. His touch wasn't as gentle as always, his grip was tight, making sure the being wouldn’t yank the hand away from him.

"You're quite rough, mister," the girl cooed. "We can make it more gently." She leaned to him. “I’m skilled in fortune-telling, would you want to hear what waiting for you in your future?”

"No."

"And that boy you've brought here?” Her gaze moved to Takasugi. “I can see quite interesting things in his future. I can see him all in refine robes, suiting the new Emperor. As he reaches the palace and the people who so far have cheered him, turn silent. I see so many cut down heads, tears and unfinished tasks..."

One talisman slipped from Shouyou's sleeve and tied around girl's forearm. She grimaced as it brought her pain, but she kept talking. Now, directly to Takasugi. "Boy, you have such pretty eyes. Such a shame. Don't get too attached to them. Truly, such a shame."

One more talisman tightened around her arm. She burst into laughter.

"Such an empty life you have, don't you?" She found eye contact with him. Her irises blew in so many colours. "Always thinking the worst of people and never believing in anything. So empty. And when you fall in love and try to fill this miserable life with that one person, you will keep seeing them die. Again and again! There-"

Shouyou sealed her mouth with his hand and pinned her to the wall. His patience came to an end. “Show yourself.”

And in the second after the command, she trembled as if a current run between Shouyou’s hands. There was something wrong with her skin. Something moved underneath it. Stretched it out between the two talismans as it was trying to get out. It formed a snake that crawled slowly from the girl's skin. It had not broken through it yet, only stretched it to the point when it was becoming translucent.

The snake leaned towards Shouyou and wrapped around his arm. The man didn't react to that. When the snake completely got out, Shouyou put the girl down to the floor. She seemed unconscious, but still alive. Then he took out from his sleeve a few more talismans. They tightly wrapped around the snake’s body. Shouyou traced being’s body with his two fingers. The signs on the talismans burned through the paper onto the snake's body.

Shouyou sighed. “Not all supernatural beings should be perceived as evil. Life is too complicated to make a clear cut between good and bad. Yet, some beings, even people sometimes, go mad from the negative feelings in them.” With a quick move, he snapped snake's head off. Soon it crumbled into dust.

Shouyou looked at his student. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah." Takasugi pushed all the weird feelings that pooled in his stomach aside. "It’s just the first time I’ve seen...” Anything supernatural. "Was it true what it said?"

"Hard to tell.” Shouyou took a good look of him. “You don’t seem too scared.”

Right, that should be his reaction. Every sane person would feel that way. He saw and heard so awful things. He got foretold something so… Yet, he felt somehow dissociated from it. Maybe it just hadn’t hit him yet.

Or maybe because he didn’t care yet about what was foretold him? He didn't care about his status as a possible future Emperor. He didn't care about other people's opinion or nameless people's death. And...

He hadn't yet fallen in love.

Shouyou still looked at him concerned after they left that household. Everything should be alright now. They’d helped someone. Maybe there was some evil creature that said something ominous, but couldn’t they just brush it off as just someone trying to save their ass by talking shit?

Or did Shouyou know that this fortune was authentic?

Whatever.

“Shinsuke,” he stopped him, right when he decided to move on from that. "You will be an amazing cultivator, but if you keep straying alone there might be some danger awaiting you."

_What?_

Oh. It was also a fortune, but this time...

Takasugi narrowed his eyes. "You can't foresee the future."

Shouyou grinned. "Well, who knows?"

"Shouyou."

"My, my. Maybe it's less than visions or any clear signs, but when someone has the experience they could pretty accurately tell when the things might be going to."

"And you have…?" Takasugi raised his eyebrow.

"Roughly a thousand years of experience in knowing people."

What?

Was he… kidding?

No. It didn’t seem like that.

Shouyou’s expression grew serious. “Right... You haven’t yet known about that. I’m living a bit longer because of cultivation. Have you heard about something like that?”

Takasugi nodded. He did hear about it. But that were just... fairy tales. He had never believed it was possible.

"If you don't believe me,” Shouyou spoke again, “there is an easy way to check it.”

_Like what?_

Takasugi didn’t ask that. As soon as it came to his mind, he figured out what the answer was.

No.

"I believe you," he said quickly.

Shouyou nodded. “Okay. Cultivation can be seen as some magic tricks, but then comes a point when we ourselves start to resemble more the monsters from children's books than other humans."

"There are also stories about heroic immortal cultivators," Takasugi said, but what he only tried to say was _You are not a monster_.

"Hm, I suppose. I don't know that much about them… What do you think I should know more about?" he genuinely asked.

"Katsura hates when someone calls cultivation 'magic tricks'."

Shouyou smiled. "Noted."

Takasugi watched him for a bit.

He hadn't yet fallen in love, right?

* * *

During their journey, Shouyou really stayed true to his beliefs and was really going onto the streets to talk with people of any class, age or gender. Mostly with kids. He sat down and chatted with them.

“Is it true that you are immortal?” A girl asked.

“Hm, it is a secret so don’t tell everyone around,” Shouyou spoke smiling and leaned to her. He lowered his voice a bit, but it was still heard by everyone gathered here. Maybe they listened even more careful not to miss out his words. “I am immortal.”

She looked at him with her eyes wide open.

“It only takes a lot of work, so not many people are like that, but it is attainable. Even for you.” He pinched her nose. “But there are other much more fun things.”

The boy sitting right next to his head woke up and threw up a question: “Can you fly?” Few others elbowed him murmuring either ‘of course he can’ or ‘of course not, he’s human after all, a human can’t fly’.

“I can. It’s pretty easy to trick. Even my student can show you.” Once again Shouyou was bullshitting people around him. Though it was hard to tell what his true abilities were since he barely used them, but flying? Not levitating or using for a bit a spiritual object like a sword to do so, but actually flying? Was it even a real thing?

“Have you ever dreamed of flying?” Shouyou asked Takasugi. This time his gig wasn’t successful, the kids spotted a liar. Happens. Not everyone fell in love with his aura without minding with how many layers he was hiding himself.

Takasugi shook his head. It didn't come before to his mind. Whenever he felt like a bird caught in the golden cage, he was finding some crack to get out. To catch some air. To feel freedom even if it was only for a few moments. He never looked to the sky wishing for something, he was reaching for his own life in ways he saw it possible to obtain.

"Many people do dream of it. Can you imagine why?" Shouyou asked then.

"It's a metaphor of freedom. A remedy to all misfortune. A way to escape and not be caught by anyone."

Shouyou nodded. Corners of his lips curled up as always when his students we're giving an excellent answer. That was the reason why Takasugi was always thinking through his. He could have thrown any words or cliche explanation, that was enough for all the teachers he had in life but not Shouyou. He was stepping back then, but he didn't smile. So Takasugi had to do his best with each word. Just to see his smile again and again.

"There is nothing bad with that thinking. Sometimes we have to come up with some reassurance for ourselves," Shouyou said. “But it is strange for me to hear about it since I was able to attain it. I was able to feel that freedom, to flee misfortune... The sad part is that sometimes there are no way out prisons or no matter where you try to fly out to, there are no friendly lands for you to rest. And it all becomes tiresome... Immortality is a two-edged sword. You get to see the world blooming again and again. And you get to see it wither. Again and again.”

Takasugi listened attentively. From that day whenever Shouyou was going through the streets to talk with people, even if mostly it was for mundane reasons, Takasugi always chose to go with him, no matter what the alternative could be. He fell in love in a way Shouyou was talking.

And like that, one day, when they were all together, they came across a little girl that sat alone. She didn’t play nor was watched over by anyone. Just sitting and staring in the ground with her big red eyes.

Shouyou went to her.

"What's your name?"

She raised her gaze. Her face was expressionless like a mask.

"Imai Nobume," she answered shortly.

Her face didn’t change its expression even in the smallest detail. She watched him carefully when Shouyou started talking about the school, her gaze wandered a bit like she thought the potential students he was asking for were somewhere next to her. There was no one. He was asking her. She realised that soon. He talked uninterrupted as she probably weighed the pros and cons of this decision.

She nodded. “I can go with you.”

Shouyou smiled.

"I have mix feelings about her," Gintoki murmured afterwards in the evening. He and Oboro seemed wary of her and kept their eyes on her the whole day.

"Why?" Katsura leaned to him.

"She looks like a killer."

Takasugi noticed an eerie aura that was surrounding that girl. Maybe there was something to it, but... But he couldn't pinpoint a reason why anyone would send a killer after them. She didn't seem interested in particular in any of them.

Oboro elbowed him. "Our master took her in; therefore, she's one of us."

No one discussed it further.

* * *

When the number of students increased to twenty, Shouyou decided to head to the mountains. Whenever they reached any cities, he was still walking around teaching, helping others and asking some if they didn't want to join them, but it became more visible he was focused on finding the right place to set a school.

They were straying more from the cities, though Shouyou never explained what he was looking for. He started doing real lessons, even if their classes were only some leas or fields. With as their teacher, it was more than enough. Somehow he was also able to pull out having students on different levels. Takasugi and Katsura had already known a lot, Gintoki was unbeatable in case of the practical side. Nobume only sat silently doing perfectly what she was told to do. And Oboro seemed more like supporting teacher than a student, in most of the times he was watching over younger students. Some hadn’t yet known how to read. And that weird mix of people worked out. No one was bored, everyone had something to do, to learn about. The less experienced ones were quickly catching up and the differences started to blur.

There was some magic happening when Shouyou teach. It couldn’t be explained otherwise.

And in a similar inexplicable manner, once Shouyou decided to stray even further from the last city. This time went up the mountain even if they knew there was nothing up there. There were only leas and bamboo groves. However, soon that place would become so much more for all of them.

"It's a good place to start," Shouyou said with a smile.

"Can't it be like a bit lower?" Gintoki whined.

"It's common for cultivation school to stay aside from places attended by civilians..." Katsura started.

"But first we have to drag everything we need here," Gintoki pointed out. "We can’t live on moonlight like certain someone." His eyes reached Shouyou, but no matter however close to the truth his words were, his tone didn't carry any anger.

* * *

After a year they've built another pavilion designed only for rooms for the students, as so many newcomers reach them over the time, that the first one wasn't enough.

The school was becoming more and more self-sufficient. Filling with people knowing and willing to learn new crafts. It flourished. In agriculture, crafts, culture, knowledge. It was no wonder Shouyou chose such a mountainous place for his school - the only suitable place for it would be somewhere close to heaven.

And about the school, since there were many new students who didn’t know the beginnings of it, they often asked why the school was named after the pine trees if what was catching their attention was a bamboo grove. Each time, Shouyou was answering them with a smile and his lips, proudly pointing at his first student, Oboro, "Because I've met him under the pine trees and that's how it started."

Also, one more thing started to happen when they settle down. It was less connected to the place itself, rather to the time they had spent together. And it was small, no one was noticing it yet, slowly growing, becoming more visible and with each day it filled Takasugi with that awful feeling that there would be a day when everyone would find out. So far, no one did. He needed to calm his spirit and be careful, otherwise, people might find out, Shouyou might find out that...

... Takasugi had feelings for him.

It was the best to phrase it this way. Feelings. Complicated, irrational, countless feelings. He was curious, amazed, attentive, embarrassed, anxious, stressed, a bit frightened. There were too many emotions growing in his heart. But he was learning how to keep it all under control. He was pushing it down, taking one more breath, sometimes stepping back. And if it was all becoming too much, so he could feel it gathering under his skin and itching, he went to the springs in the mountains to cool himself down while being alone.

This evening he went to do that again. He dived underwater to clear his head. What was going with him?

Why there were so many things in his head and heart? It started since he first saw him and then it was getting worse.

It would bring troubles. It was a miracle it hadn’t done that so far, but it would, soon. The world had its balance.

No matter how many times he would dive underwater, that fact would not change either.

He wanted to stay here. Was it bad?

Maybe.

Probably.

He didn’t know.

Takasugi let out a breathe out and tried to calm himself. No one would look for him in the night, but he prefered not to stay away for long.

He should soon...

He saw Shouyou.

His heart skipped a beat.

Takasugi always thought Gintoki was joking while saying Shouyou was feeding on moonlight, but that was a pretty accurate description. The man stood on the surface of the lake in a thin robe, halfway undone, his head put back, eyes closed.

Takasugi didn’t know if he wanted to get closer to him, to reach him, to catch him and keep him only for himself. Or if he wanted to leave, how could he be a part of something that looked so divine? He shouldn’t be there, yet he wanted to be here so much.

Shouyou moved his head and opened his eyes. He smiled gently seeing his student. "What are you doing here in the night?"

"Nothing."

He didn’t make it sound believable.

Shouyou walked to him. As he got close, his feet stepped down and like on the staircase step by step, he lowered himself to the water. Then he moved even lower. Ridiculously lower. Only his head was sticking out in the place where water was about Takasugi's shoulder.

"Shouyou, stop."

The man stood up. That was worse. Takasugi's gaze glued to how water was flowing down the thin robe making it stick to the muscle lines. It was very bad. Takasugi gulped and put his gaze down focused intensely on the ripples of the disturbed by them water. Wherever, but not on the man before him.

“Shinsuke.” Oh, no, that deep voice saying his name was making it even worse. “Is there anything worrying you?”

“No.”

“What is it?”

What was worrying about him? There were many things. Had he done the right thing choosing to follow Shouyou? What he was even doing here?

And why the hell his heart was beating now faster?

He couldn’t say that, so he chose one of the milder doubts: “Do you really want me to be your student?” He was only going to bring on troubles.

Shouyou took a good look of him. “I want to provide education to anyone willing to learn, even if they are quite troublemakers... Although, there were a few exceptional people I come across that I wanted above all to be my students. It was like that with Gintoki.”

That one didn’t surprise Takasugi. He was aware of it. Gintoki was a gem Shouyou put a lot of care to polish up. He had great potential in martial arts. And he was making up with his strength things that were too hard for him to understand as he definitely couldn’t be called the brightest.

Takasugi didn’t only expect the second name Shouyou would cast: “And then there were you.”

What?

Shouyou smiled seeing his confusion. “I admired your persistence. I got to see it even more when you’ve chosen to go with us... As I believe you know, I don’t pay much attention to people’s upbringing, since everyone can change if they are willing to. It’s the same in my view of you. I’m aware of your upbringing and how it might have made you who you are, but I look past it to see who you are deep down. And I’ve come to like what I see in you. So if you are hesitating whether to stay here or not, I won’t force you to chose either. But if you are willing to stay, it would be the greatest honour for me to be your teacher.”

Takasugi stopped breathing for a moment. Yet again he felt as his cheeks grew hotter and his mind went all fuzzy.

He should answer something to that, right?

He tried his hardest to recompose. That would be the skill he would have to practise the most while studying here.

“This disciple is seeking master’s guidance.”

“And this master will gladly provide it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I plan to post a chapter a week and after every 3 chapters take a week break, but since they are all 8k words long and my mental health is lately on its worst, so it's best to assume the entries would not be regular, sorry.
> 
> Let me know how this chapter turned out in the comments (I take concrits, so you can roost me if it's trash)


	2. Young hearts' courage in the summer nights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shouka Sonjuku school within a year started to make a name for itself under the care of their amazing teacher Yoshida Shouyou. Could its students be blamed that feeling full of themselves wanted to enter a tournament as other schools did? Yet, for some reason, it didn't meet with approval of their teacher.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for a tournament, but since I had no idea how to make it work, it's only some duels, but I hope it will be enjoyable to read! A lot of characters will make an appearance in this chapter, so you probably would like to know how old are they here, the best approximation I can give you is: Takasugi (16), Gintoki (17), Katsura (18), Oboro (20), Nobume (14), Hijikata (18), Okita (15), Kyuubei (16), Sacchan (17). Idk they are all teens.
> 
> And I apologise beforehand if some are OOC, many characters knew each other sooner than they did in canon and they are still babies here, especially Takasugi, so they will get more in character later in the story (I will spend my babies to war and traumatise them to a similar extent as Sorachi did, so just wait). Also, I know that there are many fans views on Kyuubei's gender, whether she's trans/non-binary or else, I went with the one that is probably the closest to me, so she is a woman (just the option I went with, sorry)
> 
> For Wuxia oriented glossary for this chapter:  
> \- night-hunts - hunting for supernatural creatures  
> \- (I add something if I something more come to my mind)
> 
> In the beginning, there might be something counted as underage? Nothing graphic. Just warning if it's a no-no for you.

Cultivators were serving common people. At least those who hadn’t yet forgotten themselves in the riches and become playthings for the elites. Takasugi couldn’t get rid of that impression of them as it was the one he saw for fourteen years of his life. He also saw some cultivators when he strayed on the streets. It was easy to distinguish them in the crowds because of their lofty attires. They could have seemed like someone you want to become when you grow up. Yet somehow that image spoke less to Takasugi than the ones he saw on the court or in noblemen’s households.

And then Shouyou came into his life. He was like nothing Takasugi could imagine and with each day he was pushing the limits of it further.

Strange man.

He helped anyone in need, he talked to anyone, he took as his students anyone, he didn’t bother about someone's money, status nor gender. He seemed like he only wanted to talk to people, spent time with them and if lucky maybe changed their minds a little bit.

That was probably the most dangerous thing this kingdom had ever faced.

Speaking of helping people, Shouka Sonjuku school within a year made a name for itself. There were a lot of request and pleas to them, so many that Shouyou couldn’t attend each of them. Also, the master shouldn't be bothered with tasks as mundane as most of them. At the beginning he let only Oboro take any request, yet everyone could sense how uneasy it was making Shouyou. But with time, he put more trust and faith in his students. Still, only Oboro could take something to deal with on his own, but if others made a group and Shouyou agreed, it could work too.

And only that one requirement made Takasugi a part of this awful group he shared with Gintoki and Katsura. They actually worked together pretty well and even started to make a name for themselves, but in time between they had to focus on their task, it was unbearable.

* * *

"Why are you suddenly so courageous, huh?" Takasugi teased as Gintoki took the lead walking through the forest.

“Monsters I dig. Ghost, fuck no.”

Takasugi sighed. He pulled the scarf off his face. Katsura immediately ran to him. “What! Are! You! Doing!”

“I’m sick of it.”

“We still don't quite know what are we dealing with here. What if this monster gets to you?”

“Then we will catch it sooner and go back.” He was getting sick of being a long time away from school. From Shouyou...

“You will be our virgin sacrifice?” Gintoki couldn’t pass this occasion to pick on him.

“Shut up.”

Katsura looked over him worried. He knew he wouldn't manage to speak any mind to him. “Just... stay close.”

“Sure.”

They kept looking around. It was said people began to disappear in this forest, which for a cultivator told as much as nothing. There were too many possibilities. Gintoki freaked out at the beginning as they were betting on a ghost, but the sweet scent looming in the forest change their opinion towards some monster trying to lure people in.

And since there was some odd smell, Katsura forced them to shield from it, but for how long anyone could keep breathing through some scarf.

Takasugi tripped. He looked down. There was a vine wrapped around the ankle.

Fuck.

He reached for his sword, but the vine pulled him down. He hit the ground. He shielded himself with his arms. It kept pulling him away. He reached for his sword, but it was too late.

He fell into a hole. That sweet scent was even stronger here. He felt like puking. He tried to at least turn, so he would see if anything would attack him there.

There was a human-like being right over him. Its skin was brown and cracked like tree bark. It even had pretty human-like features, he could almost recognise it was female. Was it, in the end, a ghost that got stuck somehow in the tree underneath he was laying now?

The being grabbed on his arms tightly. Takasugi felt its claws, not yet piercing his skin, but it was probably a matter of time. Only then he scented how under the sweet aroma of everpresent flowers hid the smell of blood and rot. In the corner of an eye, he caught some remains possibility human. Was it catching people, torn them to pieces to make a fucking fertilizer for these flowers? Takasugi tried to break away. It was worse than being a virgin sacrifice.

Takasugi got pulled out from the behind. Gintoki caught him and cut the monster through. There was no blood nor scream. Almost as if it didn't do much damage. But then the being withered before their eyes.

“It worked,” Gintoki chuckled. He helped Takasugi get out of that godforsaken hole.

SO, the work was done. The monster was killed. And they only got some scratches. Still, Katsura glared at them.

"Oi, everything turned out fine, Zura," Gintoki grinned.

"It is not Zura, it's Katsura," he repeated like a mantra since he refused to get used to that nickname. He sighed and looked over Takasugi. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah.” So far he was only a bit startled, but... He did breath in tons of that weirdly smelling air. Could he hope that it was not going to do anything?

“Okay...” Katsura started, but he was not convinced. “Let’s go back to the village, first.”

“Always bossing around, huh?” Gintoki bit back.

“Only a proposition. And someone has too.”

“Leave him,” Takasugi forced himself not to stay silent even if he felt as fever started crawling into his mind. “Whole his life he was getting ready to be a general.”

“I...” Katsura blushed.

“And he screwed that up,” Gintoki happily stated and took him by his shoulder.

Takasugi was getting a few steps behind them. He would catch on them, he only needed a breath. Right, breathing. He had to focus.

“Shinsuke.”

Takasugi stopped.

He looked over his shoulder.

Shouyou...

He stood and smiled gently. Everything in Takasugi was wanting to run to him. But he knew it wasn't him...

“Guys... There are more of them,” Takasugi managed to spoke.

The poison made it almost impossible for him to move. His mind worked so slowly. But at least he wasn't alone. Gintoki and Katsura took care of everything quickly. So quickly, his eyes had problems following their moves. Fever was starting to overpower him.

He saw as the blooming tree was shedding its flowers. Was it also made by the fever? It that petal haze he thought he saw someone again. This one particular person.

Gintoki grabbed him and threw over his shoulder. It was probably Katsura's idea. He had noticed how Takasugi was on the verge of collapsing. They took him somewhere. His eyes were hazed, his mind corroded with fever. He lost the sense of time.

He was forced to drink something. He didn't even know who hold him and what it was, but he swallowed obediently. His mind was refusing to work.

And then, as if when that strange mixture started to work, his head cleared a bit. Rather his thoughts melted. He heard _his_ voice. "Leave him here. I'll take care of him."

Takasugi's raised his head to see him. He wanted to see him. His whole body was aching to see him.

Shouyou looked divine as always. A gentle smile, kind eyes, eerie atmosphere of a powerful immortal being.

In the corner of his eye, Takasugi noticed Katsura. Then Gintoki - he was the one holding him in sitting position on the bed. Why were they still here? Shouyou told them to leave.

"Leave," Takasugi faintly repeated after.

His friends exchanged some worried glances. Katsura was the first to nod slowly. Only then Gintoki gently put Takasugi so he could lean against the wall. They went out. Takasugi focused on them to force his gaze of the other person in the room. His mind was fighting over and over if he should or shouldn't look at that person.

Soon, it became impossible to ignore. Shouyou came closer to Takasugi. He sat on the side of the bed he was put on. He took his hand to check his state.

“You were fighting with quite tricky demons today,” Shouyou started. “You should have taken the precautions-”

“They knew...” he gasped.

“Yes. They can see through people’s heart and see their deepest desires.”

“They knew I liked you.”

He saw how Shouyou stopped his movement for a moment. Only for a moment. He returned to checking his meridians. It seemed to take longer than usual. Like he needed to double-check what happened. It didn’t matter. Takasugi liked him staying close for a bit longer.

"Are you hurt?" Shouyou asked.

"I don't think so... Maybe some bruises. I fell a few times... and it grabbed me," his lips muttered. Why? He didn't want to speak about it. It wasn't important. The skin wasn't cut, so it was only a matter of a few bruises and he already spoke about that.

He meant something different. He was still feeling some phantom touch on his shoulders. He wanted to get rid of it... No. That wasn't the case either. He wanted to feel the real hands touching him, the real person he dreamed of, he desired...

He wanted Shouyou to touch him.

"Can you show to me where?" Shouyou asked. He was hesitant. He knew where his actions might lead. Takasugi's mind was already racing around that thought.

His hands shakily pulled the material of his robe to the sides to show his shoulder. Shouyou did not touch him. He only glanced looking for said wounds.

“Luckily, it didn’t seem they-”

“Maybe it’s on my back,” Takasugi interrupted him.

Shouyou hesitated even more. But he moved closer. He let Takasugi lean on his chest and he pulled his robe completely of his shoulders.

“There is.”

Was there? Takasugi didn’t even know about it. But Shouyou wasn’t bluffing as he reached for healing meds and bandaged it over. Takasugi could only think how their skins were touching each other. How he kept falling into Shouyou’s arms, more and more. His breath became shaky.

The fever was getting worse. Weird. Shouyou had some meds that were great at fighting fevers. Takasugi often caught colds and never do anything about them in time. But Shouyou was always able to pull him out from any state within a day or less. Why wasn’t it working now?

Maybe this _case_ was different?

Takasugi shifted to be a bit closer to Shouyou. When their bodies brushed against each other, it was like a current ran under his skin. Takasugi trembled. He moved once more. Involuntary. His body on its own found out what was the most pleasurable and mindlessly followed.

Takasugi closed his eyes. He could only hope Shouyou would push him away.

Or...

Shouyou stayed close. His presence was so intoxicating.

His hand reached between the material of Takasugi's robes. "That... that should ease it a bit," he said without certainty. His hand tightened around Takasugi's cock. It was aching for so long for any kind of care.

Takasugi clung to him. So hard like he feared someone would rip them apart.

He buried his face in Shouyou’s chest not to see what was happening to him. At least afterwards it brought some ease. It wore him off, so he stayed pressed on his chest until he fell asleep in his arms.

* * *

Takasugi woke up in the morning.

His skin, drenched in sweat, felt cold. It made him even more aware that he was alone in the room. His clothes in disarray. It slowly started returning to him what happened last night.

How much of it was just a dream?

Even if all of it... The fact he dreamed of something like that...

Would he prefer it all to be just a dream or at least a part of it to be real?

He didn't want to think about it. He prefered to put himself in motion and face whatever had happened. He got up from the bed. Since no one was here, he needed to...

The door was closed. What? Why?

He knocked and called, “Zura? Gintoki?” He heard rustling on the other side before he let out one more name.

Katsura opened quickly. Was he staying by the door whole night? He looked tired as if he hadn’t slept at all. Gintoki stood behind him and seemed better rested, but there was still some shadow of concern darkening his face.

Katsura approached Takasugi before he could even ask about anything. He checked his forehead. Then he rushed to check his meridians. It calmed him down, so everything had to be back in order.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah." He only felt a bit dizzy, but a lot had happened a day before. He was more concern in the absence of a certain person. "Where is-?"

Before he asked, Gintoki cut it, "Who were you dreaming of?"

"What?"

"The pollen you got poisoned with was one of the funny ones. One of these which gives a lot of hallucinations. You only kept mumbling it was someone you liked. So pathetic. Even when poisoned you couldn't say you want to go down on someone."

Takasugi rolled his eyes. Deep down he was thankful he didn’t utter Shouyou’s name during the whole night. He got lucky. 

"Has he even slept with anyone?" Gintoki asked Katsura.

Katsura only shrugged.

“‘kay, since we’re all done, let’s come back to school.” Takasugi needed motion. Whatever to distract his mind. No one moved. He glanced at them. “What?”

“He called Shouyou for help,” Gintoki spit out.

No, no, no, no - Takasugi's mind short-circuited. He suppressed the thoughts that were coming clouding his mind. He needed first to know how much happened last night. Assess the damage.

"Had he come here already?" he asked carefully.

"Yeah, but you were asleep then," Gintoki answered. They didn't pick on anything weird in his behaviour. Good.

"Where is he now?" Takasugi wasn’t sure if he was ready to meet with Shouyou. But he would never be able to avoid that, so was there a point of postponing it? For how long? Hours? Days?

"He went to check if we finished the job."

Takasugi nodded.

They soon went to Shouyou. What else could they do?

He was exactly where they had fought the previous day. The air was now free of that suspiciously sweet smell. Moreover, the tree which flowers Takasugi saw fall, it was dead now.

"What happened to it?" Katsura asked. Just yesterday this tree was in full bloom.

"You cut off its roots, so it withered," Shouyou explained. "You've done everything it could be." His gaze went once more towards the tree trunk. He put his hand on it. "Such a poor creature. There was no way to save it. Something horrifying had to happen here. It had witnessed such deep suffering it loses itself in it." Shouyou took one step back. He looked at his students. "It was not wise to send off to deal with it bunch of teenage boys." Shouyou smiled helplessly.

When for a brief moment their eyes met, Takasugi was sure. He wasn't able to face him. And he would not be for a long time. Too many thoughts were clouding his mind and heart.

"You've just arrived here?" Takasugi wanted to make sure.

"I'm sorry it took me so long. How-"

"I’m fine now. It was all my fault," Takasugi cut it off. "This disciple won't bring this master any more troubles." He bowed and excused himself.

* * *

Everyone was getting noisy.

Nobume watched them carefully.

Shouka Sonjuku was usually a pretty loud place. A lot of talking and laughing. The more people, the more noise and here everyone seemed to stick together. Even Nobume always staying aside got pulled into some groups for night hunts or just for something during classes. Not that she got familiar with anyone. She only kept her eyes focused on a few people - Shouyou and Oboro especially, her suspicious came and went like waves. They were kind and gentle, but some of their movements felt familiar in the worst ways.

Another group she kept notes of in her mind was this particular group of friends that came along before her. Gintoki with odd red eyes and skills so great that his family name should be known all around. Katsura who seemed inconspicuously, always smiling, trying to help, undermining himself, even if he was the biggest threat out of his friends. And Takasugi... Could it be that easy that Emperor’s son got bored with prestigious life and choose something different? Was he hiding from something? Did something happen? Although, the more Nobume watched him, the more it seemed believable that there was no hidden reason behind it. He was a weirdly stubborn individual, always on the path, he chose for himself.

Lately, Shouka Sonjuku was becoming even noisier. Not because of the increasing number of students, that seemed to stabilise lately. From what she heard around - there was some tournament between cultivations sects coming soon and many students wanted Shouka Sonjuku to take part in it.

“But haven’t master said...” someone started. Each time the subject resurfaced, someone had to say out loud what they had in the back of their heads. They had mentioned it once to Shouyou. And he clearly answered they would not participate.

Strange.

There were many odd things about Shouyou. He hid it all under enormous kindness, so everyone was quickly getting used to him sometimes acting strangely. Nobume kept her guard. She recognised this kind of behaviour. Like in wounded animal that still hadn’t come back to full health. He sensed everywhere some lingering danger. What had happened? And was it a closed chapter in his life?

"Takasugi!"

Huh, that was new in this dispute. It was usual for most of the cases if students needed to discuss anything with Shouyou, it was best to send Takasugi to him. He was quite articulate, he could keep up with their master, though usually, it was hard to make him care about something. Also, lately, he seemed a bit off and most prefered to get out of his way.

Takasugi paused his practice with someone. Nobume didn’t keep track of all the names. Some people on the first glance already seemed so unimportant.

"Could you ask the master for us, cause..."

He looked aside. 

Something had changed. Not only Nobume noticed it. Everyone was gossiping what might have happened. Since one night hunt when Takasugi supposedly got hurt, he distanced himself from Shouyou. They used to be so close that this change was blinding.

Though, he finally agreed, so the matter couldn't be anything serious.

* * *

They hadn't spoken since...

Takasugi breathed out. He knew that wouldn't go on forever. But from avoiding his master, he was about to jump into the deep end of coming to his room in the late evening. Whatever. He wanted to get over with it.

"Shouyou..." Takasugi let himself in but didn't go further than one step in. He could always turn around and go away.

Shouyou smiled at him. As nothing had happened. Was it for better or worse?

He put aside a book he was studying and spoke, "Come in, Shinsuke. They've forced even you into it?"

"Talking you in for a tournament?" Takasugi felt a bit more natural as they talked about a neutral subject. He walked in and sat next to him.

Shouyou nodded.

"Maybe it's because you were never this stubborn before."

"Is it adding oil to the fire?"

"No. We're just not used to something like that. We don't know yet how to act. Should we give up or should we try harder?"

"And what do you think? What should you do?"

Shouyou was always turning questions around. That was one of many reasons why other students were pushing Takasugi toward to talk with him. Zura and Oboro were too obedient to stand up to him and Gintoki too dense to get through Shouyou's complicated sometimes questions.

"I don't know what you hold against it..." Takasugi started carefully, but turning the question around again was a complicated art he still had to practise.

"Don't mind it. Tell me what you think."

So there was no escape. Takasugi took a deeper breath and tried to the argument it somehow. “Tournaments are a good occasion for cultivation schools and sects to show themselves. Maybe if we go there and show how good we are, there would be more people wanting to join. We could also check how far we've come and seen how others are handling similar tasks or skills... Would it be bad to check how we are placing against other schools?”

Shouyou smiled admitting his defeat. “It wouldn’t be anything bad.”

When Takasugi returned to the rest of the students, he was carefully awaited.

"We're going," he grinned.

They cheered him. They literally cheered him. How odd. It made him recall his past as a prince, but now it was better. It was finally how he wanted it to be. If he was triumphing, he was triumphing because of what he had achieved.

"You see your dad, don't you?" Gintoki threw.

Takasugi hadn't thought about it.

Some students started to whisper to each other trying to understand what Gintoki meant. They thought his friends nickname him _Takasugi_ because of how high he was keeping his head and because he was obviously from a pretty wealthy family. Not many knew that was his real surname. It was only a matter of time until everyone would know. Not that it was bothering Takasugi too much. It wasn't something he could hide. It was only something he prefers not to hear about.

* * *

"Maybe it was a good idea," Shouyou said deep in thoughts watching his students train. "They are working harder than usual to get better."

"They have some real goal in front of them after all." Takasugi watched them. Shouyou was right, everyone was doing their best to get even better. Everyone apart from him. He sighed. He could go as a spectator... Knowing himself, it would ever end like that, especially taking into account Gintoki's teasing, but...

"There is a lot on your mind, isn't it?" Shouyou asked softly.

"Going back to the capital... But it will be alright."

"You have yet to decide who you want to go back there as?"

Maybe...

He wanted to go there as Shouyou's student. As a proud member of Shouka Sonjuku school. He needed to make this statement clear.

Takasugi cut his hair during the night.

* * *

Gintoki didn't even try to suppressed laughter. "Oi, what happened? A girl dumped you?"

"Or maybe he got his hair tangled while practising?" Nobume cahooted with Gintoki.

Takasugi ignored everyone. Stares, laughter, teasing. Until one voice: "My, my, what has happened here?"

Then it occurred to Takasugi how childish his action was. It was only catching attention. He didn't mind having it on himself, but doing something only for it...

Shouyou smiled reassuringly. "We'll make you presentable."

Takasugi put his gaze down. He let Shouyou guide him into his room and waited as he gathered everything he needed. After Shouyou sat close to him and his hand gently went into his hair.

Takasugi tensed.

“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing,” Shouyou chuckled.

Takasugi wasn't concerned about that. It was just... Being so close... When it was a familiar situation, he was able to distance it from that one dream, but if it was something unusual like this and their bodies touched.

Takasugi closed his eyes and tried not to think about anything. By the end, he was even letting himself relaxed under Shouyou’s touch.

"Done." Shouyou ruffled his hair. "I have seen worse disasters. Luckily, we could have done something," he smiled. He looked over Takasugi. "You have decided who you want to go there as?"

Takasugi bowed before Shouyou. "I'm going to the capital as the proud student if Shouka Sonjuku."

"Shinsuke... I'm glad our school is important for you, but you don't have to exclude other terms defining you to make it be seen. I just want you to know that."

Takasugi nodded. "Before everything, I'm your student, everything else means so little to me, they aren't worth mentioning."

Shouyou sighed. "I really did capture your attention," he said rather to himself.

* * *

The capital hadn’t changed during these two years. When they were walking through the streets as a group of cultivators no one seemed to notice Takasugi. That was a nice change. But as all nice things, it didn’t last the whole time.

When they had entered the area for the tournament, when they stopped being unknown in this area group of cultivators and when names of all contestants were spoken, the audience held their breath. They recognised he was Emperor's son, some probably even heard how he left the court, privileges and riches to become a student at Shouka Sonjuku school where everyone, even people from the lowest class were welcome. But even they would expect that because of his position he would be treated differently from others. Like a grand jewel, set on the display and handled with the highest care. No one expected he would come as one of many cultivators, in the same clothing, moreover with hair cut short like a some barbarian.

There were already many other sects on the arena. Many of which Takasugi remembered from the times he watched such tournaments bored from Emperor’s lounge.

He noticed how Katsura’s hands close into a tight fist as he stared at one group, but he had enough of that dispute when they were still living in the capital. He knew Katsura wouldn’t do anything stupid, so he turned his attention away from it with a clear conscience.

The last one introduced was Shinsengumi sect. The order of introducing sects was significant. They entered according to their social status. Shouka Sonjuku had some more prominent students which pulled it up the rang. Shinsengumi was always introduced at the end. They followed similar principle as Shouyou that people are all born equal taking all kinds of students, though what differenced them from Shouka Sonjuku school was that they were rather conservative. Committed to the rules and traditions. They hadn’t fought with the place they were put again and again in this world. They didn’t argue the rules. They reinforced it as they served as capitals additional forces. Having a squad knowing cultivation was a smart move, but Takasugi would argue a lot with their policy.

No one cheered. On the one hand, they were the police. Who liked them? But on the other... How were they able to keep up with this treatment? All men are prideful. How they were able to swallow their pride and stand upright?

Maybe apart from their leader, Kondo Isao. He had no pride nor shame at all. They barely made it to the arena, he spotted some woman he knew and called out to her, “Otae~!”

He got hit in the face with something that probably used to be food, but Takasugi wasn’t sure.

“Oi, oi,” he heard some Shinsengumi gossiping. “Why they took a child with them?”

Takasugi glanced at them. The one who had spoken wasn’t much older than Nobume they were referring to. The other man... Takasugi knew him. He had enough clashes with police to know the vice commander of Shinsengumi, Hijikata Toshiro.

“Some people don’t know their place,” Hijikata spoke.

Nobume was still a kid, small and fragile, but these guys had to be blind if they didn't notice that out of everyone gathered there she was the deadliest thing.

Their talking didn't seem to affect her. No emotion showed on her face. She walked a few steps in their direction, but it didn't seem like she had any intention to...

She pulled her sword and a second later the edge of a blade was hair-thin close to Hijikata's neck. She didn't move any further. It was a warning.

"My, my," Kondo interrupted. "We don't have to get so serious!"

Nobume glanced deadly at him.

"You'll apologise, will you? Right, Toshi?" he nagged his subordinated.

She pulled her sword back. Hijikata cupped his hands and bowed. Nobume walked away without watching him do so. She didn’t take his apology and he should sleep from now on with one eye open.

Shouyou sighed when Shinsengumi walked away.

“I’m sorry.” Nobume cupped her hands and bowed to him.

Shouyou shook his head. “I understand. Let’s try not to stir too many troubles.”

"They are pissing me off," Gintoki grunted.

Takasugi grinned. "Let's kick their asses then."

Shouyou closed his eyes and smiled hopelessly. Well, troubles were his students’ second nature

Takasugi noticed their teacher seemed a bit down.

"Is everything alright, master?"

"Yes," he breathed out. "Sometimes I have very little trust in people."

"We'll be cautious." Takasugi cupped his hands.

* * *

"Finally someone from us."

"Who?" Takasugi looked over Gintoki’s shoulder. Fucker pushed himself to the front even if he could have seen with Takasugi before him.

"Zura. His opponent is that little guy." Gintoki pointed out.

Takasugi followed his direction. Oh. He knew that _guy_. That was the person making Katsura’s fists tightening until knuckles went white.

"Yagyuu Kyuubei."

“Yagyuu, huh?” Gintoki hummed. “I heard they are tough. You think we might lose this one?”

“Zura won’t let it happen,” Takasugi stated. “They have an unfinished issue. No matter what tricks he will have to use, Zura won’t lose. Not this fight.”

Gintoki hummed. It was going to be interesting. Katsura rarely went all in during the fights. He was composed and hard to provoke. A remnant from the times he was making each of his steps towards the goal of becoming the general. He practised a lot and it wasn’t taking an expert to assume he wasn’t falling behind his friends.

As for the audience - names Katsura and Yagyuu were speaking for themselves. Who even put their fight during the first rounds? It would be better to leave it on the later ones. Build the tension up to it. It felt almost...

Takasugi brushed his suspicions off when Katsura entered the arena. When the signal to begin the fight cut through the air, he impatiently attacked. He didn’t let Kyuubei even a moment to think. She didn’t fall behind either. Her martial arts were beautiful. Like advanced dance moves. No wonder, she fought only in her clan’s sects training and during tournaments like this one. While Katsura’s style was awful brutal and messy. He fought too much with people like Gintoki and Takasugi. They blackened him.

Katsura kept rushing to her and attacking her with a lot of strength. He seemed like he wanted to crush her. 

She didn’t keep up with him for long. One wrong step and it was over. She fell to miss the hit. She failed anyway. The sword pressed to her throat.

A signal came telling the duel was over.

Katsura won.

He pulled his sword back and gave her a hand to help her stand up. Beautiful gesture. Katsura was good at courtesy. But Takasugi could see on Katsura’s face he didn’t change his opinion of her or rather her family in the slightest. If he had at least a shred of proof, he would slit their throats with no hesitation.

Shouka Sonjuku loudly cheered their first victory. Even Nobume let crowd emotion to affect her.

The next one from Shouka Sonjuku was Takasugi.

"Don't dishonour us too much." Gintoki hit his back.

Takasugi rolled his eyes and went on the arena. He looked at his opponent. Hijikata Toshiro. Could be worse.

The man seized him down too.

"Oi, Hijikata, you're scared?" One of his colleagues taunted him.

“He’s only good in running away.”

Takasugi grit his teeth. He would not let him provoke him. That was probably the only way Hijikata could have a chance with him. His cultivation was low and martial arts rather not complicated.

One breath to calm himself down. He can handle something like that.

Few first moves gave Takasugi false sense of security. Then Hijikata put his sword between Takasugi's legs. He tripped on it. He managed to put his free hand forward and bounced back to the standing position.

Fucker wasn't bad. A bit too good.

It reminded Takasugi a bit of Gintoki's fighting. The fucker knew he was strong and he used that to press on Takasugi.

He couldn't escape him even for a moment.

Hijikata hit Takasugi's hand making him drop his sword.

Fuck.

Not yet.

He slid to the back. At least he got away from him. Now he only needed to...

He reached for his sword, but then he felt a sword by his neck.

Fuck.

“Next time, make it less boring,” Hijikata taunted. He put his sword back and stepped away.

The duel was over.

Takasugi stood up after a few moments.

Oboro grabbed on his shoulder. Hard enough to keep him in place.

"It's alright," he said in his low, soothing voice. "It happens." He let him go when Hijikata was in few feet distance from them.

“Really?" Gintoki whined. "Out of all of us, you lost? Well, I could have foreseen it.”

“Shut up. You haven’t fought yet.”

Gintoki grinned. “I know I won’t lose.”

Takasugi came to Shouyou. He cupped his hands. “This disciple apologises for bringing dishonour on this school, there is still a long way before him.”

Shouyou chuckled softly. “It’s alright. You fought well. Remember what I told you-”

“Loser learns more than the winner?”

Shouyou nodded.

“Then one day I have to become invincible.”

* * *

Next from Shouka Sonjuku was Gintoki. His opponent was a violet-haired woman from Oniwabanshu, Sarutobi Ayame. He was screwed. Even more, because the first thing he did was trying to hit on her.

“Oi, miss, you sure you want to fight? We could go out somewhere and spend time in a more pleasant way-” The knife cut through the air and drugged into the ground near his foot. “Then I guess not.”

He moved back and pulled the knife with him. They were supposed to fight with the given them wooden swords, but no one seemed to mind this little breaking of rules.

They fought until they were both barely standing.

She was going to fall first. Unfortunately. She was good. Yet, no one could match Gintoki’s endurance, maybe Katsura, but they never really tried it out.

She tried to take a step, to keep fighting. She fell to her knees. Her ankle was twisted, she couldn't withhold the pain of putting her weight on it.

Gintoki won.

"You okay?" He gave her a hand to stand.

She didn't take it. She stood on her own. One of her colleagues ran to her to let her his shoulder to lean on.

"We have a great medic, he could look after your injury," Shouyou proposed.

Sarutobi raised her eyes. Her gaze went cold when she saw he meant Oboro. "No. There is no need for it."

Only one more fight of the first rounds was left. Nobume with that Shinsengumi kid that kept taunting Hijikata.

So far in the first round, even with Takasugi's loss, Shouka Sonjuku held the majority in the second round. But Shinsengumi was going to be a pain in the ass. Even the kid fighting now with Nobume. He could keep up with her.

Were they human?

Takasugi's eyes wandered off the ring. Maybe he was losing interest as he fell out of the race. Or maybe he finally dared to turn his eyes towards...

He was gone.

"Something is wrong," Takasugi said.

"You just want to chicken out, huh?" Gintoki laughed.

"He's right," Katsura interrupted. His gaze followed Takasugi's. They both knew how to read this sign. "They are evacuating the Emperor first. Quietly, not to stir panic nor to shown to the attacker they figured it out."

"But then they will..."

"The more postpone escape, the less effective," Katsura explained.

"And it isn't like we could just walk away on our own without catching anyone's attention."

"We have to tell Shouyou first. Together we will take care of anything."

The rest nodded. They moved closer to their master. Takasugi happened to be the closest, so he told him everything keeping it in secret.

Shouyou's usual smile faded. He feared something like that could happen. How had he known...? That wasn't important. They had to figure out some plan of action.

Shouyou told Oboro to discreetly send his crows around. He dropped on talisman on the ground. From Takasugi recognised it was the one to dispatch others attention. No one would notice any time soon how Shouka Sonjuku gathered around their master.

"Isn't the Emperor your dad? He should do something to get you out?" one girl spoke.

Takasugi's face went blank like a mask. "Count only on yourself," he said emotionless. He heard it too many times. It got written into his mind.

Shouyou glanced at him but pushed that issue aside. They had more urgent problems.

One of the crows came back and sat on Oboro’s forearm.

“The streets are clear. It’s only happening here.”

Shouyou nodded. “We have to ensure everyone from the audience will get out safely.”

The students nodded.

“Watch over each other. We’ll go back home together.”

Shouyou left younger students under Oboro’s care to guide them out through the back exit. Others got spread out to the audience and other groups to help with the discrete evacuation.

"Takasugi! Where are you going?" Katsura called him out.

"We won't do it by ourselves." No matter how strong and proud they were, Shouka Sonjuku was still a small school. He ran to Shinsengumi. "Oi, you are the police usually, right? We need to evacuate people from here."

"Why?"

"Shut up." Takasugi had no time for his bullshit. "Look up, they had already evacuated the Emperor. We are the meat left behind to prey on."

Hijikata looked around. He was starting to notice the gravity of the situation. He looked at his leader. Kondo nodded. They would cooperate.

"Stay," Takasugi grabbed on Hijikata’s clothing.

"Make your goddamn mind! Once you tell me to go, other you tell me to stay-"

"Toshi," Kondo shut him off. "He's right."

There was no longer the first rows of the audience. There was a tight ring of the grimily looking men.

They were screwed.

"What are we going, Kondo?" Hijikata looked at his leader.

“Can we do anything else than breaking through?” Takasugi looked at the older man too. After all, he was just a kid with no experience.

Kondo nodded. “We’re breaking through.”

Takasugi looked around to find Shouyou. He was with Gintoki and they seemed to come to a similar conclusion as the white-haired man jumped into the fight.

Then it started.

Next moves of countless swords fell quickly. Cultivators noticed the air around them changed and spared the attack.

People on the audience panicked. They were trapped as this clash of forces happen between them and all possible exits from the tribunes.

They needed to hurry up and got to them.

Takasugi cut through the attacker. It was one after many other cuts, but his eyes stayed glued on the body. It fell apart to pieces. He looked to the sides. These were all dolls. Countless of them. The one row they saw before now became thicker.

Who was controlling them?

Takasugi moved in. His hits became more precise and calm as he was sure he wasn't fighting against a living human being. They needed to cut through to help the people left on the audience.

In the heat of the fight, they all got divided. Takasugi's gaze was always looking for Shouyou, but fortunately, their master chose to securely stay back and only support them with his talismans. Right. He hated fighting.

Next Takasugi looked for Gintoki. Just cause he was pretty recognizable, there wasn't anything more to it.

Takasugi saw as one of the men attacked Sarutobi. Gintoki shielded her. The sabre hurt his arm. He grimaced but managed to swing his sword one more time and cut the attacker's head off.

“You...” her voice was so weirdly soft.

“Just acting by instinct,” Gintoki scoffed.

She nodded. For a moment she hesitated before uttering some words of thankfulness, but she abstained. Gintoki's casual behaviour told her it wasn't needed.

Takasugi turned his eyes from them. He didn't need to worry. They would manage anything.

He was one of the first cultivators who get through. That was the easiest part. Looking down the tribunes the number of the attacking them dolls did not decrease, even though the people who fought with them were ones of the greatest cultivators.

How much more was awaiting them still?

They needed to focus on what was important - saving people.

"We need to regroup," Takasugi tried to state it calmly.

His eyes went to Gintoki one more time. There was someone behind him.

Sarutobi tranquilised the attacker quickly.

Gintoki looked over his shoulder.

“Just acting by instinct,” she spoke.

Takasugi sighed. Showoffs.

Calmer, he took voice again. "We'll secure the path and Shinsengumi will help with the evacuation."

Hijikata didn't like being ordered around, but he took his people in the direction Takasugi wanted them. Okay, it was going somehow. He put a part in securing the passage. Soon Katsura joined him.

"You are quite bossy, today," his friend teased him.

"Someone has to."

* * *

The people stopped.

What?

Takasugi stepped back. Katsura could fight for the two of them and someone needed to check what had happened. Takasugi pushed through to see what made the holdup.

What the hell?

Shinsengumi was supposed to evacuate the people from here, not try to fight and, looking at how they were doing, die in the blaze of glory.

Takasugi caught Hijikata and pulled him back.

“You want to fucking survive?! Then shut up and learn how to cooperate!” Takasugi roared.

Hijikata shut up.

Takasugi looked at all the exits he knew about. They were cut from each of them. Of course.

"You want to fight, okay. Someone else has to lead the evacuation." He looked back.

He saw as Kyuubei saved one woman from the attack. They had to know each other well as she nick-named her, "Kyuu.”

“It’s okay, Tae.”

The way Kyuubei smiled to her made Takasugi rolled his eyes. Also, _Tae_? Wasn't that the same woman Shinsengumi's leader called out for before the tournament started. Who was she that everyone fell for her?

Otae didn't only stay down waiting to be saved. As she calmed down, she took one of the sables that left after the defeated attackers and she helped Kyuubei clear the way.

Okay. Now Takasugi could imagine why people might be interested in her.

It was a good sign, they had some strong fighters on their side. Breaking through once again might be doable.

Nobume also happened to be around. That made him relax a bit. He had someone from Shouka Sonjuku within his reach. Normally, he would not trust her, but at this moment, in this place, she was one of two people he could trust the most. He needed to play the cards he had in his hand.

"Nobume, Kyuubei, you will lead the evacuation," he ordered.

They nodded and moved to the front. 

* * *

Nobume watched as one woman ordered everyone around. She was doing a great job, so Nobume just tried not to get in the way and with Kyuubei shield the common people from any possible threat. It wasn’t hard. They weren’t the real target here. She could tell Takasugi was also getting to that conclusion.

They managed to get to the streets.

Nobume watched as everyone let go of a breath and felt secure. Was it all over? Nobume looked behind them. No one was following them. Whatever was happening, it was still boiling on the arena.

Nobume turned her gaze away.

Kyuubei took the leadership and ordered people to get back to their households. When the last one was sent off, she finally let fatigue show on her.

Nobume dared to ask her one thing, "Why do you pretend to be a man?"

“You know that I'm...?”

Nobume nodded. “Why are hiding that?”

Kyubei squeezed her sword. “I wouldn’t be able to... I would just lose everything in my life. My family would lose everything. Only a male heir can take on the clan, but there is none, so to survive, we have to keep on playing there is."

Nobume watched her closely, but not exactly with attention. Her gaze was hollow like an ocean, it was devouring everything that fell into it.

She shifted and put her eyes aside. “Too complicated. I would just cut the heads of all that disagree.”

"That’s one way to do it,” Kyuubei chuckled. She looked softer at Nobume. “It meant a lot for me to see someone like you and Sarutobi in the tournament. Maybe one day...”

* * *

A crow circulated in the sky. Takasugi watched it hopelessly looking around. Was that...?

“They got stuck. We need to help him.”

They were barely standing as the last of the dolls were cut down. But they needed to do something. He took a few people. Shouyou also came with them. Did he felt concern about his students he couldn’t stay aside? Whatever it was, Takasugi felt calmer having him by his side.

As he had thought, there were more attackers under the tribunes. They noticed them. Shit. They needed to deal with it quickly. But how? Takasugi looked around but his mind went blank.

Shouyou sighed.

Takasugi focused his eyes on him. What he was about to do?

Shouyou pulled out his sword. He moved forward. An in split second he defeated a dozen men.

He cleared the way.

They didn’t have time to focus on that. They had to check if there wasn’t anyone further in the corridor.

Shouyou went with him as well.

There was one more attacker. In the last moment, Takasugi noticed he was different from the previous ones. It was human.

And the moment they saw him, he collapsed.

As Takasugi approached, he noticed there was only one needle standing out of the man's body. That was all that took to defeat someone who was closed to seriously straining many cultivators sects.

Takasugi raised his gaze to see who did it.

Oboro.

The white-haired man stepped back caught redhanded. Why did he react so nervously? It was all in self-defence. Moreover in defence of others, so...

"I'm sorry," Oboro uttered.

Shouyou came forward. His face was solemn when Takasugi's gaze reached it. But with each step, he worked whatever it stirred in his heart and returned to his usual kind expression. He reached to the defeated. The man was still alive. That took away all of Shouyou's worries.

They heard many footsteps. Their bodies tensed, but they saw where Shouka Sonjuku students.

"We got trapped here," one boy tried to explain his beloved senior disciple.

Oboro shook his head silencing him.

"I see," Shouyou spoke. "Are everyone safe?"

"Yes."

"Alright then." Shouyou turned to the people with who he came here. "If I can, I ask you to forget what had happened here."

"Master," Oboro's voice quivered. He seemed as he was hesitating between trying to explain himself and asking for punishment.

"It's alright." Shouyou smiled gently. "Let's get to the others and rest."

* * *

“Are there any casualties?” Shouyou asked.

“There are some lightly injured,” Katsura reported.

Takasugi's gaze went to Gintoki. That violet haired girl treated his wound. He was hissing and cursing around a lot, but Takasugi noticed how his gaze wondered when she wasn’t looking back at him. She was kind of attractive, so it wasn’t that surprising.

Katsura returned to injured, Shouyou also went to provide all possible help. And Takasugi stayed. His blood pumping quickly through his veins even though he suddenly became useless.

He looked around. His eyes couldn't stop scanning his surroundings and trying to analyse everything quickly. He needed to calm down and pull himself out of it. He would get mad if he stayed in such state forever.

Oboro still was worried about something.

Takasugi walked to him. The senior disciple didn't notice him at first. He was too deep in his thoughts. So Takasugi used the trick he was the best at. The golden butterfly soon flying from his hand towards Oboro. It danced before him finally making him face Takasugi.

"What was that about?"

Oboro ruffled Takasugi's hair. "Don't worry about it."

Takasugi moved back and narrowed his eyes.

"Not today."

Okay. That way Takasugi was able to let it slide. Everyone was exhausted.

"I should go and..."

Takasugi stopped him by his shoulder. "Take a breath at least. No one is seriously wounded, so others can take care of helping the injured."

Oboro stayed. There was still something wrong. He was restless.

"Why are you so hard on yourself for that?"

"I shouldn't have..." Oboro sighed. "I shouldn't have shown master that I know something like that."

"Is it that bad?"

Oboro nodded.

"Yet, it was quite impressive."

"Life isn't only about strength."

"Supposedly..."

There were many injured as soon Katsura with Gintoki came to them. Their group somehow always stuck together no matter many conflicts and difference in characters.

Katsura seemed deep in thought.

"You keep thinking about what happened?" Takasugi asked.

"They didn't go after the Emperor nor the nobility. They came here for cultivators," Katsura was trying to piece everything that had happened that day.

"Why?" Gintoki leaned closer.

Takasugi and Katsura looked at themselves. Had they thought about the same?

"Cause that would make us defenceless," Takasugi said it out loud.

* * *

Late in the night there were still lights up in their master’s room. Takasugi couldn’t sleep because of day’s events. There were too many troubling him thoughts.

He didn’t come in at first. He walked to the kitchen and prepared the tea. Then he came back and knocked to Shouyou’s door.

And as always, this master’s doors were open for his students at any time.

The tea only made him smile even more tenderly.

"How did you know, something will happen?" Takasugi asked pouring him tea.

"I didn't. I had a bad feeling. I'm old enough to sense it."

Takasugi bowed. "I apologise for bringing danger to our school."

Shouyou pulled him back up. He caressed his cheek. "Don't worry. We managed our way out of it, didn't we? It is worth to take a risk than to stay in one place too afraid of the harm waiting in the outside world for us. There might be always something bad around the corner, but more importantly, there is also something beautiful."

Now everything seemed so peaceful and at its places. Takasugi almost forgot what had happened during this day. His thoughts were getting too messy when he was around Shouyou.

Right. He wanted to ask about one thing. “Why do you abstain from fighting? It's...” Takasugi bit his lip before speaking. It was the most beautiful thing he had seen. He couldn’t say that. Shouyou was one of the strongest cultivators in this world. Why was he hiding that?

“I’ve...” Shouyou hesitated. “I’ve fought a lot in my life. Now I got enough of all that blood and suffering. I try to resolve things in different ways, but if something needs a quick response... Unfortunately like today, I’m easily falling back into old habits.” He turned his gaze away.

“About something else that happened...” Takasugi started.

“Yes?” Shouyou raised his eyes. His expression returned to its usual gentleness.

“Oboro hadn’t done anything wrong.”

“I know." Shouyou's expression darkened a bit. "It isn’t anything too serious. Don’t mind it.”

_Don’t treat me like a child, Shouyou._

* * *

The tournament got cancelled because of the attack, but still, all the sects were called for a briefing. That seemed like a bit careless move from the Emperor. Was he giving the attacker one more chance? No, the second attack risk was low, almost impossible.

This time Emperor himself spoke to the gathered crowd.

“Because the tournament got interrupted, the winner could not be chosen by the competitions alone. However, we wanted to acknowledge the schools that helped in resolving the accident that had a place since the most important task for cultivators is bringing help to those in need.”

Some meaningless bullshit. Takasugi almost tried to leave, but then he heard the verdict: “This year winner is Shouka Sonjuku school.”

What?

They looked at themselves thunderstruck. Had they misheard that? Not only them, everyone at the stadium had a similar reaction. Small, unknown largely school to win against all honourable clans and sects?

"We... we won."

"Duh, what else did you expect?" Gintoki grinned.

That broke the surprise letting out the joy and cheers. Shouka Sonjuku was definitely a winner in means of the loudest sect.

“Will you go with me?” Shouyou asked Takasugi.

“What?” He couldn’t understand. He didn’t even know if this question was meant for him. Someone had to go and receive the price, but why he would go with Shouyou? "I've lost."

"And then you saved everyone."

Takasugi could only nod and follow Shouyou. Was it really happening? Maybe that was a dream? It had to. It probably was.

They bowed to gods for watching over them during the tournament. Then they bowed to the Emperor for watching over their country and keeping it in peace.

Takasugi turned and bowed to Shouyou. He thought of him higher than an Emperor or gods.

Shouyou saw his action and soon moved to bowed to him as well. Of course. He couldn’t take the honour. He had to give it to someone else...

Oh. Then it occurred to Takasugi what they had almost done. Three bows, to gods, to parents, to each other. Was Shouyou aware of what they were doing? How shameless their actions were?

Takasugi glanced at his father. Oh, he never saw that much fury in him. That was a satisfying addition to the victory.

When they returned to the rest of their school, Takasugi overheard from aside: “What? You’ve expected fair competition? Forget it. Not when the Emperor’s son 8779participates.”

Had they seen what happened? How it barely get through his father’s throat that the school his son chose   
over anything else in the world turned out victorious?

That made the celebration taste bitter for Takasugi. He couldn’t get that remark out of his head. Until he asked out loud when his friends were surrounding him, “How many people will think it is all because of my father?"

"It doesn't matter.” Gintoki put an arm around his neck. “We will win again next year and the next year. We will make them know there is more to our school that daddy of one of the students."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These three bows are part of a wedding ceremony.
> 
> Also, I have no idea who Gin/Sacchan made its way into this fic since I don't quite ship them. I only wanted to give Sacchan more space to shine and unlike in canon to actually do something (I'm a bit bitter how Sorachi handled her, he just could do better).
> 
> Let me know how this chapter turned out in the comments (I take concrits) or hit me on Twitter at @AkikoKitsune


	3. Update

It isn't a new chapter, just an update what's going on as my calendar is telling me that I should post now chapter 5 and I haven't even finished the 3rd one.

I was beating myself over and over if I should write this or not. If anyone's reading it is outside of my lovely twitter group of friends - since November started to struggle with major depression. I'm taking antidepressants and I go on the therapy, but I still don't know how to deal with it. Now on top of everything exam season came and I have to put more time and energy to pass my exams than I usually need. Therefore, I think the most reasonable would be putting this series on hold until February 12th. We'll see what will happen next. It's hard for me as writing is the only thing keeping me alive and always helped me during a tough time and now I have to put it aside. But I will come back to writing as well as to this fic since it has a special place in my heart

I hope you will understand.


	4. Contemplations of autumn leaves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for going MIA for so long, my exam took out more from me than usual and my health also isn't best as I stated before.
> 
> I intended to edit through more chapter before posting this, so the pauses between chapter wouldn't long no matter how would I feel, but I started panicking about it 🙄
> 
> Sorry if it's trash, I'll try to correct if anything is making your eyes bleed.
> 
> And sorry if I misspelt the name of the cult Tendoushuu set up. Apart from that, I think nothing requires explanation.

Years passed. Shouka Sonjuku school made the name for themselves as the strongest from all cultivation sects and schools. They won the tournament three times in the row. During night hunts they were unmatchable. And from all the sects they were the easiest to come to for help in case of any problems as well as for anyone willing to learn their ways.

Their fame was starting to catch attention. People were talking behind their back. Takasugi being Emperor’s son soon faded compared to other mysteries. Who was Yoshida Shouyou? No one had heard about him before he’d come to the capital wanting to set a school. What was his background? His history? His previous sect? His master? His actual predispositions to be a teacher? Was it bringing more harm than good? What he was teaching people, mostly children, from all the societal classes together? It was known that he didn’t stay in the neutral subject of cultivation and fighting against the supernatural. He was vocal in many social issues. Revolutionary.

And revolutions often ended bloody.

Takasugi knew that. He knew better than most of the people how dangerous words Shouyou was spreading. All the people are equal, all the people are free, all the people deserve the same rights and perspectives to grow. Ideologically, it all sounded pretty. Putting that in work, though, could cost many heads.

Yet, before Shoouyou's teachings would take action, there was something else hanging in the air.

“Have you heard what happened with...?” Takasugi heard gossiping on the streets.

Again some sect got wiped out in unknown circumstances.

He would bet his head that it was related to the war that was hanging in the air at the west border. Was it even hanging at this point? It felt as the first drop of it could be already felt on the skin.

And there was no way to hide from it.

Takasugi chose to only take a precaution. It would not determine the way he would go next, but it might help to secure him in case... Just in case.

He went to Oboro and asked, “Will you teach me?”

“I... I don’t think there is anything...” Oboro looked at him confused. He always helped everyone, but mostly younger studies with writing or understanding some texts. Also if someone was curious about learning medical skills. Oboro knew Takasugi had no interested in that and in terms of writing and understanding text, there was no one better than him between students. It seemed that there was nothing he might want to learn from him.

“There is,” Takasugi stated strongly. "You never fight, but I know you are the strongest."

Oboro looked aside. Like Shouyou, for some unknown reason, he was avoiding fights.

“Do you want to use it against Gintoki?” Oboro asked. He knew what the answer would be, but he clung to the hope it would turn out different.

“No,” Takasugi answered truthfully. He didn’t try to learn it sooner, cause he was too prideful and wanted to defeat Gintoki on his own terms. And he did almost catch up to him. But now it might not be enough.

This answer seemed to worry Oboro even more. Was it so apparent that Takasugi was scheming something behind everyone’s back? 

“If I say I won’t use it recklessly?” Takasugi tried again. He needed to learn something new. He needed... He needed to become stronger.

* * *

Truthfully, Takasugi didn't know what to expect. As always he followed his gut and hoped it would work. He wasn't mistaken this time. Oboro had mastered many martial arts, to the point it seemed weird he never used his talent to represent their school. Why was he hiding that?

Takasugi chose not to ask. He was already pressing on him to show him it. Troubling Oboro with questions wouldn't help in anything. Maybe one day when the world would calm down he would get the answers.

But even if at first it seemed like stars align for Takasugi, it turned out not to be that easy. No matter that Oboro was a good and patient teacher, his fighting style was almost too advanced.

Almost. Takasugi didn't get discouraged easily when he made his mind about something.

Yet, he needed to accept not everything was within his reach. Like that needle technique, he saw Oboro used before. It needed too much precision and knowledge of the human body and its acupuncture points. Also, the needles weren't handy for Takasugi. He only learnt a few points that even hitting them would cause severe damage. He used it against Gintoki. He won that one fight thanks to it. But at the same time, it showed him how unpractical that might be for him since he needed to be very focused.

He didn't give up. Oboro neither. Noticing some patters in what was easier for Takasugi, he moved something different. It didn't require any weapon or complicated knowledge, only manipulation of one's qi. And Takasugi was pretty good at it.

The technique consisted of gather one's qi and almost used it as a weapon, pushing it against their enemy. Takasugi only practised it on air or a few mannequins Oboro made, but he was sure it could break a few bones.

The downside of it was the amount of energy it was taking. But it was alright. Takasugi didn't care what might happen to him.

Oboro noticed that too. He probably hoped only that Takasugi would keep his promise and would not use it too recklessly.

* * *

Shouyou caught them after a few weeks. He probably noticed it earlier, but let his students develop independently until the curiosity won over him.

“My, my, I wouldn’t have guessed I had such hardworking students to practice this much after classes, hm,” he only hummed approaching them.

Oboro stepped back as if he was caught on some wrongdoing. Why? He was teaching his junior disciple a martial art technique. What was bad about it? Takasugi didn’t understand it at all, so he even asked Shouyou: “Why haven’t you ever taught anyone else that?”

“Oboro learn it by himself.” Shouyou face darkened when he said it.

“I watched other people. After I read some books. Practised a lot.”

“And that’s impressive,” Shouyou said, but there was some scolding hidden under his usual smile.

Takasugi couldn’t stop thinking about it. He ended up asking Oboro about it, “Why he doesn’t like to this extent that you learn that?”

“Because it’s easy to kill people this way."

Takasugi should have known that. It wasn't hard to imagine. But somehow his mind could make a connection between his senior disciple and doing anything wrong.

Oboro continued after a moment. "It's much harder to used it to knock someone unconscious or stop their movement. That’s why. A bit of distraction and you can’t take it back. You have to know what you are doing, every time.”

“And you know. You don’t kill people.”

For a moment Oboro sadly smiled. It soon disappeared as he looked Takasugi in the eyes. “Maybe you just haven’t seen that side of me?”

There was something chilling in his words.

Takasugi knew. The more time he spent with Oboro, the more it was becoming obvious there was that so pretty past under his senior disciple warm smile. However...

"I do know you. And I trust you," Takasugi stated. "I know you would just do anything it takes for our teacher."

Oboro chuckled bitterly. That was it. That was the sensitive part. A wound that Oboro wasn't letting to heal as if not to forget how far he was able to get.

"I would do the same," Takasugi confessed. He didn't mind getting his own hands dirty. If only that would ensure the safety of people dearest to him.

* * *

“You’re alone?” Shouyou asked.

Takasugi looked around. He didn’t even notice as there wasn’t left anyone he could pair with to make the lampion. Zura was with Gintoki, even Oboro found a pair in Nobume, probably because he found her alone before he noticed Takasugi.

“Seems like it.”

Shouyou recounted his students. He had to come to an odd number, cause he decided, “I’ll be with you.”

Takasugi nodded. He put his gaze down for a moment. To calm his thoughts. Since all had to pair up with someone, there wasn’t much meaning to that. But some especially wanted to be with a person close to their hearts.

It was stupid. It was so stupid that Takasugi had already felt as the wish he would never say out loud came to life.

Shouyou let him take the finished lampion first. Some were drawing or writing down wishes. Since Takasugi was bad at the first, he tried the latter. Shouyou read slowly the words he had written. They weren’t meant to be seen by anyone:

_I’ll kill crows from three thousand words to sleep in with you._

Shouyou hummed, "I hope you mean it only metaphorically. Otherwise, Oboro might be saddened by it."

Takasugi frowned. Shouyou didn’t seem to notice the real meaning behind these words, the content of Takasugi’s heart. With all its wishes, desires, fears.

Shouyou wrote down his wish. His calligraphy was beautiful, though this time he used very simple words, simple sentiment: _let us all be safe and sound_. Just that. Cause that was the most important. And it seemed, less probable with each day.

They set the lampion together and let it flew up to the sky as if sending gods their prayers. But no one could hear it nor do anything about it. Takasugi was no longer a kid, he knew that.

“What is your wish?” Shouyou asked.

Takasugi shrugged.

“You still haven’t decided what to do?”

Takasugi knew what he wished for. He wasn’t only sure up to how to attain it. His heart was pulling him into a certain direction, but it would lead him away from Shouyou and it could never bring him back to him, so he didn’t step on that path. Yet.

Maybe all that could be avoided. Maybe he could just stay here.

He watched the lampions disappearing in the sky and he prayed. He earnestly prayed that there was anyone who could listen to their calls.

* * *

Takasugi punched putting all his energy into it. His hit was suppressed by Oboro’s hand. If he was a second faster, he would reach him. And the damage would be unpredictable. He saw how reddened Oboro’s hand was, as he parred the hit with it.

“Let’s bring Gintoki next time to be our punching bag,” Takasugi grinned.

Oboro smiled and reached down for the scarf that fell during their sparing. Takasugi saw his nape. There was some kind of tattoo on it. It looked like...

As if Oboro remembered about it, he covered it with his hand and quickly put his scarf back on.

It was too late, Takasugi noticed it. A bird with spread wings. A crow. Ominous sign.

“Don’t ask,” Oboro said before any words left Takasugi’s lips.

He nodded.

* * *

Lately, there were more and more night hunts to attend. Strangely. Maybe it was because of the fame of the school, but Takasugi felt a bit uneasy when they reached unknown city far from their region.

“We were never around there,” Gintoki hummed. “Pretty nice city.”

“Why they didn’t ask the cultivation clan who lives here?” Katsura wandered.

Takasugi stopped.

“Maybe that’s why,” he spoke quietly and pointed at the abandoned mansion. The sign of its entrance was told it used to be a cultivation sect. Takasugi had even heard of them. And now they were gone.

They all stopped for a moment. Giving the mansion second glance, it wasn't abandoned. It was soaked in death. And quite recent.

“No, no, no, no, we... We are not going there,” Gintoki shuttered clawing to Katsura’s arm.

“We have to check what has happened. What if the being which has done it is still here.”

“Zura... What if...” Takasugi started.

Katsura frowned upon the misspelt name but seeing the complicated expression on his friend’s face he didn’t correct him out loud.

“What if that being was... What if that was just people?”

“We need to check.”

The rest nodded. They entered the household. There was no one inside. Not a single soul. Only fingering breath of death. Something like a thin veil put on rotting bodies and blood. The stench of the rot became stronger with every room they passed by. Then they started to see. All the blood and bodies, they were still there.

“Shouka Sonjuku, always on the worst place, the worst time,” they heard a familiar raspy voice.

Gintoki almost passed out. Luckily, Katsura managed to hold him before falling or running away as what he thought to be ghost turned out to be Hijikata. Up to everyone’s annoyance.

“If we haven’t started the investigation, we could have taken you as caught redhanded,” Hijikata sighed.

“We can still do that,” his younger companion, Okita Sougou, said.

“Sougou,” Hijikata grunted warningly. He moved his gaze to the Shouka Sonjuku students. “What are you doing here?”

“We wanted to check if the attack wasn’t connected to some supernatural creature,” Katsura explained.

“No creature, just good old humans. So it seems at least.”

The murder scene looked too brutal for a human to do that, but... People could commit anything. It only concerned Takasugi how much hatred had to be stirred to result in such bloodshed?

"There are more and more attacks on cultivators since that tournament. Each time it looks like an only small local thing. There are not connected in any way apart from the victim." Hijikata puffed his pipe.

"Someone is stirring people against cultivators?" Takasugi suggested. Each crime was different, each time the killer was different, sometimes it was a whole community, but no one was so blind to say there was nothing there. Someone had to be behind it.

"So we thought... we have our guesses, but we can't check it out."

"Why?"

"Have you heard about Tendoshu? Or about seibouism?"

"Something about the latter." It was the cult-like religion sprouting here and there.

"Tendoshu seems to stick their fingers in everything. We suppose they could be the group behind all this aggression. Which complicates everything. It smells fishy, but we have our hands bound since they have some connections with higherup. Why the shaddies guys always know whose asses to lick?" Hijikata sighed. “Now, get your asses off the crime scene. And... If you find out anything, let us know."

* * *

"I didn't know you were also teaching how to fight," Nobume asked. She approached Oboro only when Takasugi had finally left. She was watching them for quite a bit.

"... Rarely."

"May I ask for one lesson?"

Oboro watched her carefully but agreed. He took up a wooden sword.

She attacked him. Oboro parred it easily. He knew she was always starting quickly. He watched all students train so many times, he had a good impression of their habits.

Then he only noticed how she reached behind to her waist to a dagger. She was much quicker than him. She pressed the blade to his neck before he could dodge it.

All their movement in that one second stopped.

"I know who you and Shouyou are," she spoke.

Oboro's expression dulled. He didn't mind having a dagger by his throat. "If you find out it now, isn't that a bit late, Mukuro?"

Her hand trembled slightly. Only such a small reaction, but of course Oboro noticed that. He was always an attentive observer.

No one had called her by that name in a long time.

"We knew since we saw you, who you were," Oboro continued. "Shouyou knew. And he still treated you the way he treated you. Think about that."

Nobume moved back.

Shouyou knew?

Probably. The chances of that were high. She was aware of it.

Yet, the last person that treated her with such kindness and love knowing all that about her... He...

Nobume shook her head to push that thought away. It wasn't the time.

But it still hurt so badly...

"It isn't that you find that out just now, right?" Oboro asked.

It wasn't. She doubted for long. But she knew. Under her skin, she knew.

"You wanted to use it as leverage, right?" Oboro's voice softened. "But you don't need anything like that when you talk with me or Shouyou... What did you want to know?"

"What is _he_ doing?"

Oboro sighed. He looked worried at the direction Takasugi had left.

"He doesn't know that himself yet."

“Will he tell Shouyou when he'll be leaving?”

"I hope he will."

* * *

Takasugi waited with an umbrella for Shouyou. It started to rain and the teacher was supposed to leave to go to the city in the afternoon. And Takasugi had nothing better to do either way.

Shouyou smiled when he saw him. “I didn’t expect anyone would come out for me.”

“Always.”

“Would you miss me? I’m going away only for a few hours.”

If he could, he would wish not to leave him even for such small amounts of time. But that would be childish. Takasugi was no longer a child having reached eighteen years old.

"Let me accompany you," Takasugi asked and Shouyou agreed.

As they walked together, they reached on their way the nearby village to buy some necessities they couldn’t make by themself on the school grounds. They got only half of what they needed. But it wasn’t things they couldn’t live without.

Whenever they lately came down to the bigger concentrations of people, they noticed how the world had become poorer, greyer and more wounded. The times, they were living in, were no longer peaceful. At Shouka Sonjuku, away from the capital and up the mountain trail, it could be easily forgotten and everyday life went unrestrained. But if their gaze went anywhere further, worries grew in their hearts.

After the first tournament they’d attended, something shifted in the cultivation world. Someone wanted to get rid of this country’s cultivators. The attacks grew in numbers. They seemed unrelated at first. Most were only small, local outburst. And because it was left without any response, so much harm had been done.

Were they safe here?

So far it seemed like that. They were only a small school with no relation to others. They hadn’t made any enemies so far and local people were friendly.

How long they could live here undisturbed by the storm running through the country?

In the village, two young women came to them.

For a moment Takasugi regretted going with Shouyou. His want to talk with anyone willing was a curse in situations like that. These women were from that cult that suspiciously growing fast in all part of the Kingdom. There was nothing meaningful to what they were going to say. Only a words someone else made them say over and over to catch new followers.

This time Shouyou's reaction was different than usual. He talked with many weird people and sometimes try to challenge their ideas respectfully. However, now, when only these women started saying learnt by heart words how their religion was great, Shouyou interrupted them.

"I've heard." His smiled turned artificial. "Destroying schools, burning scrolls, banishing scholars. Excuse me, but it isn't the idea of seeking knowledge I believe in." And when he was leaving them he added in more natural to him tone, "But if any of you are willing to learn, doors to my school are open for everyone."

That was a strange encounter.

There was a lot of controversies and suspicious against this cult, but for the first time, Takasugi saw his teacher almost losing his cool.

He didn't know it was going to become even stranger.

"Maybe I should think about closing the school," Shouyou murmured when they were getting away from these women.

What?

"I have to think it through." Shouyou sighed. "I shouldn't make such decision acting on emotions."

He seemed so... powerless.

Takasugi looked behind to take one more glance of the cult women. What were they really?

Now they were talking with some bulky man. Takasugi thought he had seen a mark on his nape. He didn’t see it clearly, so he wouldn’t bet his head that it was the same as the one Oboro was hiding on his.

* * *

The war erupted on the borders. They could not worry about it at all. They had here everything they needed to live. The rest of the world could go to hell and this place would stay being a paradise.

But the ideals of helping common people Shouyou put in their hearts were rushing young blood on the frontlines. No matter how many times the teacher also spoke about how the war was the worst thing humanity could come up with.

This time Takasugi didn’t want to get involved in the dispute. He knew he wouldn’t win. It was a less ideological problem as most of the students saw it, more personal issue. Takasugi could imagine that the heart of a person who saw the nightmares of the war couldn’t be so easily changed that a school dispute would do a thing. And honestly, he understood Shouyou’s sentiment of wanting to keep everyone here. Keep everyone safe.

Even if his heart was raging in him too.

* * *

All these restless winds of times brought a snowy winter. As if to cool down the boiling spirits. And it did help. The cold helped crystallize the ideas.

Takasugi walked around. He wanted to train a bit, but there were too many thoughts in his head. Could he just stay here and not care about the world? Could he feel here safe? Could he keep Shouyou safe here?

Cut heads, lost eyes, lover’s death, crowds silence, getting hurt in loneliness. That fortune was still in the back of his head. That was probably awaiting him. That was the future. He felt it under his skin. He could try to push it away, but it would fall on him one day, there was no escape from it.

Takasugi stopped. He saw a movement between the bamboos. The shadow was too large to be the one of a man. His first instinct was right. It was not. It was an animal. A white tiger. Its fur blended with the snow, but bright green eyes stood out and caught attention.

The tiger stopped. It looked at Takasugi from behind the bamboos. Its body was relaxed. It wasn't watching a prey.

Slowly, it walked away. Takasugi's gaze followed it. He should go in that direction as well.

He knew what he needed to do. He always had.

* * *

Shouyou peacefully continued calligraphy. Takasugi only wanted to keep seeing that each day of his life. Nothing more.

“Master, I...”

Shouyou put down his brush. He looked at his student. He smiled tenderly. “You’re going to leave us. Is that right?”

Takasugi nodded. He put his eyes down. “Am I letting you down?”

“No.” Shouyou stood up and walked to him. “I know my students enough to be sure about their rightful intentions.”

“Right intentions don’t equal right actions.”

“I believe you can make them equal.”

Takasugi dared to look up. Shouyou was looking at him so tenderly. And even more tender was his voice when he asked, unsurely: “Will you return?”

Takasugi dropped to his knees. “This disciple will do everything in his might to please this master.”

“Then this master will be awaiting his return.”

* * *

First, Takasugi headed to the capital. That seemed like the most reasonable start. Since the war had officially started, the troops were forming and going to the border. Better to start where they were than trying to catch them in the middle of nowhere.

The travel to the capital took a while. They went this way for the tournaments, yet as he walked it alone the journey seemed to never end.

He could have used his sword and fly on it, but… He really should have done that. He just didn’t want to get there too soon. It was about a three days trip. And he needed that time to rethink his choices.

Was he just voluntarily coming back home? It was only temporary, but...

And what would he do there? Just go and enlist? Or should he first go to the palace? What would he gain if he went there?

* * *

The capital was as always busy. No one paid attention to him. He grew older and stay away for long. His cultivation robes were telling a different story about him that the ones he wore as a child. It changed only as he got to the palace. The guards recognised him right away. He gave them a lot of a hard time back then, but as they bowed letting him come in, it didn’t seem to be a bad memory for them.

It felt awkward to walk the corridors he was running through as a child. He was itching not knowing who would he meet first. His father? That’s the worst-case scenario and pretty unlikely. Servants? That would be the best option.

It turned differently. More painful.

He met first his mother. She stood paralysed in the hallway as she saw a ghost. He stopped too. When she made her mind that it wasn’t a dream, she ran to him. Her face softened. It seemed like time went back a few years back. Like Takasugi was just a kid that came back home with a ragged knee after getting into a few quarrels. It was so tender, warm, healing. Takasugi almost melted into it.

“Were you alright all these years? Were you healthy? Wasn’t your school too hard on you?” she just kept asking even though she knew he didn’t have time to answer most of it.

“I’m in good health, mother. Is father here?”

She nodded. “He’s busy lately.”

“I came in that case.”

Takasugi walked in the throne hall. His father spent there whole days. He usually was quite busy taking a lot of audiences. The most out of any previous Emperors. Now the hall was empty not counting a tired man on the throne. He raised his gaze hearing the steady footsteps. His expression didn’t even change when he saw him.

“What are you doing here?” the Emperor asked.

Takasugi bowed. “I want to serve this empire in its lowest moments and lead it to the victory over its enemies.”

His father sighed and looked over him.

“You can stay, you can eat our food, you can sleep in my palace, but I won’t give you my people. You walked away, threw away everything. You should have known what you were choosing to lose. If you want to get it back, prove yourself.”

“I will.” Yet, before Takasugi turned back and walked away, he wanted to ask about something. “Do you remember the first tournament I took part in? Three years ago?”

“I do. You won. Your school won,” he corrected himself.

Did it even matter who exactly win or not? There was not an ounce of proud in his eyes. He would never be. Not for something his son stood against him. His victory was more important. Takasugi would make him lose then. By never stepping off his path, by winning over any inconveniences.

“I didn’t mean that,” Takasugi pulled them back on track. “There was an attack. It was the start of the conflict that now is burning through your Empire. You know about all of that. And what have you done?”

The Emperor was silent. Of course. Because that was exactly what he had done. Stay silent, blind for the raising chaos and misery. Until he was safe in his golden cage, why would he bother?

Takasugi continued speaking, “When the world is on fire, you don’t give a medal to someone you put down a part of it. You deal with the rest of it first.”

“And what you have done all these years when you knew about everything as well?”

_Pushing guilt on a kid, great parental move, shithead._

No. Takasugi would not let that provoke him. He was no longer a kid. He was going to be a leader. A better leader than his father ever was.

“Important is what I’m doing now. And, I’m going to correct our mistakes.” Takasugi turned back and went out of the palace. He had no intention of staying here if it wasn’t bringing him closer to his goal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that concludes the first part of this fic that could be seen as Shouka Sonjuku arc. I can't wait to hear from you what you think about all the revelations from this chapter!
> 
> I'll try to soon post the next chapter that will bring us even more believed characters from Gintama, but my mental health is pretty bad.


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